Latest news with #Moissl
DW
04-07-2025
- Science
- DW
Should we panic about interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS? – DW – 07/04/2025
Sometimes "the universe comes to us," writes the European Space Agency. For the third time since 2017, an interstellar object will enter our solar system. What is it and are we prepared? Beyond the fact that this is the third known interstellar object to have entered our solar system, "we don't know very much," said Larry Denneau, co-principle investigator at ATLAS, a telescope in Chile that spotted 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025. It's not exactly reassuring when scientists say "we don't know," but at least it's honest. Astronomers do know that 3I/ATLAS is a comet that's about 670 million kilometers (416 million miles) away from the sun. Based on current projections, it poses no danger to planet Earth. "Scientists are still determining the velocity and trajectory to a degree that will allow accurate predictions for the future," wrote Richard Moissl, who heads the European Space Agency's Planetary Defense office, in an email to DW. The closest it will get to our planet is about 240 million kilometers away, when it will fly by in October. That is more than 1.5 times the distance between us and the sun, and about 624 times the distance between the Earth and our moon. It is also thought to be about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) wide and traveling at about 60 kilometers per second (an impressive 134,000 miles per hour). But this is all relatively basic data — the very data that allowed astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in Chile to spot it. When they saw the object on an unusual trajectory, they immediately began to track and measure it. Then, other astronomers based at telescopes in Hawaii and Australia, began monitoring the object's flight progress and confirmed it as an interstellar comet. "We are seeing an onset of [normal] cometary activity," wrote Moissl. Comet 3I/ATLAS flew through the heliosphere to enter our solar system. The heliosphere is a barrier that protects us from interstellar winds and radiation. The heliosphere is, however, an imperfect barrier — some interstellar radiation gets through, and it clearly doesn't stop icy intergalactic wanderers like 3I/ATLAS. Interstellar objects in our solar system are thought to be quite rare though. The first known interstellar object was 1I/'Oumuamua, detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, detected in 2019. "This is only the third interstellar [object] ever to be detected, hence a precise forecast of the expected frequency is not possible at this point," wrote Moissl. But telescopes have got more technologically advanced and scientists do now scan the night sky continuously. So we may begin to see more of them. "The Legacy Survey in Space and Time at the Vera Rubins telescope in Chile goes online this year. It is more efficient than existing surveys and expected to detect several new Interstellar objects over the next 10 years," said Moissl's colleague at ESA, Michael Kueppers. Kueppers is a Comet Interceptor Project scientist. Comet Interceptor is a spacecraft that will rest in a "parking orbit" and intercept distant comets and asteroids if they come too close to Earth. It's scheduled to launch in 2029. The short (and obvious) answer is that comets, like 3I/ATLAS, 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, come from other planetary systems. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Much like comets and asteroids within our solar system, interstellar objects are considered to be untouched specimens from elsewhere in our galaxy, the Milky Way, if not fragments from the very beginnings of the universe. Moissl said this new object "came roughly from the direction of the Galactic Center region," which, as the name suggests, is towards the center of the Milky Way. But astronomers do not know its precise origin or "home star." Based on its brightness, 3I/ATLAS appears to be bigger than the other two stray comets — 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov — which are thought to have entered our solar system from a different region of the Milky Way. Astronomers will want to continue monitoring 3I/ATLAS to assess its composition and behavior. ESA said that as an active comet, it may heat up as it gets closer to Earth, and "sublimate" — that's when frozen gases on a comet turn into vapor, creating a glowing coma and trail of dust and ice particles. You should be able to see it from Earth with a telescope by September — but "you'll need a big telescope to see it," wrote Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in an email to DW. When it's closest to Earth it will be hidden by the sun but then reappear by early December.
DW
04-07-2025
- Science
- DW
Why the panic about interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS? – DW – 07/04/2025
Sometimes, "the universe comes to us," writes the European Space Agency — the third time now since 2017. What is it and are we prepared? Beyond the fact that this is the third known interstellar object to have entered our solar system, "we don't know very much," said Larry Denneau, co-principle investigator at ATLAS, a telescope in Chile that spotted 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025. It's not exactly reassuring when scientists say "we don't know," but at least it's honest. Astronomers do know that 3I/ATLAS is a comet that's about 670 million kilometers (416 million miles) away from the sun. Based on current projections, it poses no danger to planet Earth. "Scientists are still determining the velocity and trajectory to a degree that will allow accurate predictions for the future," wrote Richard Moissl, who heads the European Space Agency's Planetary Defense office, in an email to DW. The closest it will get to our planet is about 240 million km away, when it will fly by in October. That is more than 1.5 times the distance between us and the sun, and about 624 times the distance between the Earth and our moon. It is also thought to be about 20 km (12.4 miles) wide and traveling at about 60 km per second (an impressive 134,000 miles per hour). But this is all relatively basic data — the very data that allowed astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in Chile to spot it. When they saw the object on an unusual trajectory, they immediately began to track and measure it. Then, other astronomers based at telescopes in Hawaii and Australia, began monitoring the object's flight progress and confirm it as an interstellar comet. "We are seeing an onset of [normal] cometary activity," wrote Moissl. Comet 3I/ATLAS flew through the heliosphere to enter our solar system. The heliosphere is a barrier that protects us from interstellar winds and radiation. The heliosphere is, however, an imperfect barrier — some interstellar radiation gets through, and it clearly doesn't stop icy intergalactic wanderers, like 3I/ATLAS. Interstellar objects in our solar system are thought to be quite rare, though. The first known interstellar object was 1I/'Oumuamua, detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, detected in 2019. "This is only the third interstellar [object] ever to be detected, hence a precise forecast of the expected frequency is not possible at this point," wrote Moissl. But telescopes have got more technologically advanced and scientists do now scan the night sky continuously. So, we may begin to see more of them. "The Legacy Survey in Space and Time at the Vera Rubins telescope in Chile goes online this year. It is more efficient than existing surveys and expected to detect several new Interstellar Objects over the next 10 years," said Moissl's colleague at ESA, Michael Kueppers. Kueppers is a Comet Interceptor Project Scientist. Comet Interceptor is a spacecraft that will rest in a "parking orbit" and intercept distant comets and asteroids if they come too close to planet Earth. It's scheduled to launch in 2029. The short (and obvious) answer is that comets, like 3I/ATLAS, 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, come from other planetary systems. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Much like comets and asteroids within our solar system, interstellar objects are considered to be untouched specimens from elsewhere in our galaxy, the Milky Way — if not fragments from the very beginnings of the universe. Moissl said this new object "came roughly from the direction of the Galactic Center region," which, as the name suggests, is towards the center of the Milky Way. But astronomers do not know its precise origin or "home star". Based on its brightness, 3I/ATLAS appears to be bigger than the other two stray comets — 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov — which are thought to have entered our solar system from a different region of the Milky Way. Astronomers will want to continue monitoring 3I/ATLAS to assess its composition and behavior. ESA said that as an active comet, it may heat up as it gets closer to Earth, and "sublimate" — that's when frozen gases on a comet turn into vapor, creating a glowing coma and trail of dust and ice particles. You should be able to see it from Earth with a telescope by September. When it's closest to Earth, it will be hidden by the sun, but then reappear by early December.
The Irish Sun
04-07-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Mystery 12-mile-wide ‘fuzzy object with a tail' spotted blazing through our solar system at 37 miles a SECOND, Nasa says
A MYSTERIOUS cosmic object has been spotted zooming through our solar system - and astronomers say it is only the third of its kind. The "fuzzy" object with a "short tail" is no fur-ball alien, but instead a large icy comet from interstellar space. Advertisement 6 An artist's impression of an interstellar comet Credit: ESA 6 The interstellar comet is seen inside the red box Credit: David Rankin / Saguaro Observatory 6 The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile Credit: ESA 6 Comet A11pl3Z's path through the solar system Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The celestial visitor is only the third interstellar object on record to grace our solar system, and is also likely the largest yet detected. It follows the rare visits from the famous 1I/ʻOumuamua asteroid in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. "The fact that we see some fuzziness suggests that it is mostly ice rather than mostly rock," Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, told AFP. Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation, added: "It looks kind of fuzzy... It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail." Advertisement READ MORE ON SPACE The 12-mile-wide comet, known o riginally as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin , is blazing through the solar system at great speed. While astronomers are still refining their calculations, the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) a second. 6 An artist's impression of 'Oumuamua, the first known interstellar visitor in our solar system Credit: Nasa The comet poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency (ESA). Advertisement It's closest approach of Earth, which is projected to occur in late October, will see it pass "jus t inside the orbit of Mars ," according to Moissl . Most read in Science Breaking It will pass our blue dot no closer than 240 million kilometres – over 1.5 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. By the time it does make its closest path of Earth, it will be hidden by the Sun - meaning stargazers will have no chance of spotting it in the night sky. Incredible moment a fireball comet is spotted racing past stunning aurora towards Earth While it is expected to reappear by early December, this will only offer astronomers another window for study. Advertisement The comet was first spotted on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile. Its unusual trajectory immediately raised suspicions that the comet came from an unknown world in interstellar space . Its current path "means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again," according to Moissl. What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet? Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa... Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth) Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it'll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn't vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth's atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing) ESA's Planetary Defence Office, tasked with safeguarding Earth from potential asteroid and comet impacts, alerted astronomers who can now track the comet's path. Advertisement These efforts are part of ESA's broader mission to detect, track, and characterise near-Earth objects. "What makes interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS so extraordinary is their absolutely foreign nature," ESA wrote in a recent "They are remnants of other planetary systems, carrying with them clues about the formation of worlds far beyond our own. "It may be thousands of years until humans visit a planet in another solar system and interstellar comets offer the tantalising opportunity for us to touch something truly otherworldly." Advertisement That's why the space agency is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission for 2029. ESA is set to send a spacecraft into a parking orbit in space to wait for a suitable target comet – or even a rare interstellar object - to retrieve samples from. 6 CGI image of ESA's Comet Interceptor spacecraft Credit: ESA All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the Advertisement
GMA Network
03-07-2025
- Science
- GMA Network
Third-ever confirmed interstellar object blazing through Solar System
Distant galaxies are seen in an image produced by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, on Pachon Hill, Coquimbo Region, Chile, June 18, 2025. RubinObs/NOIRLab/SLAC/NSF/DOE/AURA/Handout via REUTERS PARIS, France - Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through our Solar System -- only the third ever spotted, though scientists suspect many more may slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected, and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. "It looks kind of fuzzy," Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation, told AFP. "It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail." Originally known as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, the object poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency. "It will fly deep through the Solar System, passing just inside the orbit of Mars," but will not hit our neighboring planet, he told AFP. Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) a second. This would mean it is not bound by the Sun's orbit, unlike objects that remain within the solar system. Its trajectory also "means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again," Moissl said. "We think that probably these little ice balls get formed associated with star systems," added Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "And then as another star passes by, tugs on the ice ball, frees it out. It goes rogue, wanders through the galaxy, and now this one is just passing us." A Chile based observatory that is part of the NASA-funded ATLAS survey first discovered the object on Tuesday. Professional and amateur astronomers across the world then searched through past telescope data, tracing its trajectory back to at least June 14. The object is currently estimated to be roughly 10-20 kilometers wide, Moissl said, which would make it the largest interstellar interloper ever detected. But the object could be smaller if it is made out of ice, which reflects more light. Veres said the object will continue to brighten as it nears the Sun, bending slightly under the pull of gravity, and is expected to reach its closest point -- perihelion -- on 29 October. It will then recede and exit the Solar System over the next few years. Our third visitor This marks only the third time humanity has detected an object entering the solar system from the stars. The first, 'Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017. It was so strange that at least one prominent scientist became convinced it was an alien vessel -- though this has since been contradicted by further research. Our second interstellar visitor, 2I/Borisov, was spotted in 2019. There is no reason to suspect an artificial origin for 3I/Atlas, but teams around the world are now racing to answer key questions about things like its shape, composition, and rotation. Mark Norris, an astronomer at the UK's University of Central Lancashire, told AFP that the new object appears to be "moving considerably faster than the other two extrasolar objects that we previously discovered." The object is currently roughly around the distance from Jupiter away from Earth, Norris said. Norris pointed to modelling estimating that there could be as many as 10,000 interstellar objects drifting through the Solar System at any given time, though most would be smaller than the newly discovered object. If true, this suggests that the newly online Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile could soon be finding these dim interstellar visitors every month, Norris said. Moissl said it is not feasible to send a mission into space to intercept the new object. Still, these visitors offer scientists a rare chance to study something outside of our Solar System. For example, if we detected precursors of life such as amino acids on such an object, it would give us "a lot more confidence that the conditions for life exist in other star systems," Norris said. — Agence France-Presse
Express Tribune
03-07-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
Third interstellar object detected racing through solar system
This handout image obtained on May 23, 2024 courtesy of NASA/ESA/CSA shows space telescope Euclid's new image of star-forming region Messier 78 (the central and brightest region), a vibrant nursery of star formation enveloped in a shroud of interstellar dust. The European Space Agency (ESA) unveiled on May 23, 2024 a first batch of scientific images of the cosmos taken by the Euclid space telescope, which will observe two billion galaxies over six years in an attempt to unravel the mystery of elusive dark matter. (AFP) Listen to article Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through our solar system — only the third ever spotted, though scientists suspect many more may slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. 'It looks kind of fuzzy,' said Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which was responsible for the official confirmation. 'It seems that there is some gas around it, and I think one or two telescopes reported a very short tail.' Originally known as A11pl3Z before it was confirmed to be of interstellar origin, the object poses no threat to Earth, said Richard Moissl, head of planetary defense at the European Space Agency. 'It will fly deep through the solar system, passing just inside the orbit of Mars,' but will not hit our neighboring planet. Excited astronomers are still refining their calculations, but the object appears to be zooming more than 60 kilometers (37 miles) a second. Read: Netflix, NASA team up for space content This would mean it is not bound by the Sun's orbit, unlike objects that remain within the solar system. Its trajectory also 'means it's not orbiting our star, but coming from interstellar space and flying off to there again,' Moissl said. 'We think that probably these little ice balls get formed associated with star systems,' added Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. 'And then as another star passes by, tugs on the ice ball, frees it out. It goes rogue, wanders through the galaxy, and now this one is just passing us.' A Chile-based observatory that is part of the NASA-funded ATLAS survey first discovered the object on Tuesday. Professional and amateur astronomers across the world then searched through past telescope data, tracing its trajectory back to at least June 14. The object is currently estimated to be roughly 10–20 kilometers wide, Moissl said, which would make it the largest interstellar interloper ever detected. But the object could be smaller if it is made out of ice, which reflects more light. Veres said the object will continue to brighten as it nears the Sun, bending slightly under the pull of gravity, and is expected to reach its closest point — perihelion — on October 29. An artist's impression of 'Oumuamua', the first known visitor from the stars to our Solar System. Photo: AFP It will then recede and exit the solar system over the next few years. This marks only the third time humanity has detected an object entering the solar system from the stars. The first, ʻOumuamua, was discovered in 2017. It was so strange that at least one prominent scientist became convinced it was an alien vessel — though this has since been contradicted by further research. Our second interstellar visitor, 2I/Borisov, was spotted in 2019. Read more: Pakistani astronaut to embark on space mission with China There is no reason to suspect an artificial origin for 3I/Atlas, but teams around the world are now racing to answer key questions about things like its shape, composition, and rotation. Mark Norris, an astronomer at the UK's University of Central Lancashire, that the new object appears to be 'moving considerably faster than the other two extrasolar objects that we previously discovered.' The object is currently roughly around the distance from Jupiter away from Earth, Norris said. Norris pointed to modeling estimating that there could be as many as 10,000 interstellar objects drifting through the solar system at any given time, though most would be smaller than the newly discovered object. If true, this suggests that the newly online Vera C Rubin Observatory in Chile could soon be finding these dim interstellar visitors every month, Norris said. Moissl said it is not feasible to send a mission into space to intercept the new object. Still, these visitors offer scientists a rare chance to study something outside of our solar system. For example, if we detected precursors of life such as amino acids on such an object, it would give us 'a lot more confidence that the conditions for life exist in other star systems,' Norris said.
