Latest news with #RioHurtado
Gizmodo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
A Third Interstellar Visitor Is Here, and Astronomers Might Know Where It Came From
After defending his PhD thesis on modeling interstellar objects on Monday, June 30, Matthew Hopkins intended to take some well-deserved time off. It would appear the universe had other plans for him. The very next day, the Atlas Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, detected a mysterious object whizzing toward the Sun. Early observations suggested that it came from outside our solar system, potentially marking the third discovery of an interstellar object in history. Astronomers across the globe—including Hopkins—leapt into action, racing to gather as much data on this wandering space rock as they could. By Thursday, July 3, the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center confirmed that an interstellar object was, indeed, traveling through our cosmic neighborhood, naming it 3I/ATLAS. Now, Hopkins and his colleagues believe they know where it came from. 'It's very exciting!' Hopkins, an astrophysics graduate student at the University of Oxford, told IFLScience. 'I've been anticipating the chance to compare my predictions to new data for four years, and 3I/ATLAS is already giving us new insights into this fascinating galaxy-spanning population.' Through preliminary observations, astronomers have learned a lot about 3I/ATLAS. It's the largest and brightest interstellar object yet, according to Experts are fairly confident that it's a comet zipping through our solar system at incredibly high speeds. Upon its discovery, the object was traveling 137,000 miles per hour (221,000 kilometers per hour), and it will speed up as it approaches the Sun. 3I/ATLAS appears to be much bigger than the two interstellar objects that came before it: 'Oumuamua and Comet 2I/Borisov. Early size estimates suggest it could be 6 to 19 miles (10 to 30 kilometers) wide. Don't worry, there's no chance of this space rock hitting our planet, but it will safely make its closest approach to Earth on October 30. Initial spectroscopy suggests 3I/ATLAS is redder in color than typical solar system comets, similar to some trans-Neptunian objects—minor planets that orbit the Sun beyond Neptune's orbit—or tiny, icy celestial bodies located between Jupiter and Neptune called Centaurs. Another study made photometric observations of the object that found it to be similar in color to some solar system comets but markedly bluer than 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov. Together, these early findings paint a vivid picture of our solar system's latest guest, but figuring out where this comet came from is equally as important as figuring out what it looks like. Interstellar objects like this one are 'pristine, primordial remnants from the planet formation process in other planetary systems,' Darryl Seligman, an associate professor of physics and astronomy at Michigan State University, wrote in an article for The Conversation. Understanding 3I/ATLAS's origin would allow astronomers to extrapolate information about how planets form in this foreign star system. To that end, Hopkins and his colleagues analyzed 3I/ATLAS using the Otautahi-Oxford model. This new model integrates data from the European Space Agency's (ESA) Gaia observatory with models of protoplanetary disk chemistry and galactic dynamics to predict the distributions of velocities, ages, and compositions across the interstellar object population in our cosmic neighborhood. Hopkins and several of his co-authors contributed to the development of Otautahi-Oxford. Their findings, which are currently available on the preprint server arXiv and have yet to be peer-reviewed, suggest 3I/ATLAS originated from a specific part of the Milky Way's galactic disk. This is the disk-like component of our galaxy that contains stars, gas, and dust and rotates in circular coplanar motion around the center of the galaxy. According to Hopkins's study, 3I/ATLAS likely came from the thick part of the disc, which contains about 10% of the stellar mass of the Milky Way. These stars are generally much older than those located in the galaxy's thin disk. 'Studying its chemistry and dynamics will add to our understanding of how the processes of planetesimal formation and evolution happen across the Milky Way's disk, and how such objects respond to the Milky Way's potential,' the study states. Planetesimals are diminutive celestial bodies—like asteroids or comets—that serve as the building blocks of planets. '[Comet 3I/ATLAS] is probably from an old star in the thick disc, and we think that it's likely that this thing's been out there for longer than the age of the Solar System,' co-author Chris Lintott, a professor of astrophysics at Oxford, told IFLScience. 'There's a two-thirds chance that it's older than 7 billion [years], and that would explain the color.' If confirmed, it would mark the first known interstellar object to visit from that distinct galactic population. To test their hypothesis, the researchers will keep a close eye on 3I/ATLAS as it approaches the Sun. Older stars tend to produce water-rich interstellar objects, Lintott explained. If this comet hails from the thick disk, it should produce a lot of cometary activity, which occurs when surface ice heats up and transitions directly from a solid to a gas. In the meantime, astronomers around the world will continue getting to know our galaxy's third interstellar visitor.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Comet 3I/ATLAS: Interstellar object speeding through solar system at 137,000 mph
Astronomers are buzzing over a new discovery: a comet from beyond our solar system that could soon be visible through amateur telescopes. The object, officially named Comet 3I/ATLAS, was discovered on July 1, 2025, and is only the third-known interstellar object to pass through our cosmic neighborhood. Its arrival offers scientists a rare opportunity to study a visitor from another star system, and gives skywatchers a chance to glimpse something truly out of this world. Where did Comet ATLAS come from? Comet 3I/ATLAS originated outside of our solar system, making it an interstellar object-a classification reserved for space rocks that aren't gravitationally bound to the sun. Astronomers determined its unusual trajectory using data from the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Its steep path through the inner solar system suggests it came from deep interstellar space. Will Comet ATLAS hit Earth? Despite its dramatic entrance, Comet ATLAS poses no threat to our planet. "Although the trajectory of the object brings it into the inner solar system, it won't come close to Earth," NASA explained. Its closest approach will be about 170 million miles away, which is nearly 1.8 times the distance between Earth and the sun, or 700 times farther than the moon. Will Comet ATLAS be visible in the night sky? Right now, the comet is only visible with large, professional-grade telescopes, but that may change in the coming months as it moves closer to the inner solar system. While it's unlikely to become bright enough for the naked eye, predicting the brightness of comets can be tricky. Some fizzle, while others flare up. "3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September," NASA said. "After that, it will pass too close to the sun to observe. It's expected to reappear on the other side by early December, allowing for renewed observations." If it brightens more than expected, Comet ATLAS could become a highlight for amateur astronomers this winter. Even if it never becomes bright enough to see with the naked eye, folks with a telescope might be able to spot it from their backyards. How fast is Comet ATLAS moving? This interstellar visitor is flying through space at breakneck speed. As of early July, Comet ATLAS was traveling at 137,000 mph, more than twice the speed of Earth's orbit around the sun, which is about 67,000 mph. It will continue to accelerate as it approaches the sun before slingshotting back into deep space, never to return.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers spot rare interstellar comet speeding through solar system
RIO HURTADO, Chile - Astronomers say they have discovered an interstellar comet speeding through the solar system, making it only the third known object of its kind to originate from beyond the Sun's gravitational influence. The comet, recently designated 3I/ATLAS, was first observed on July 1 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. At the time of its unexpected discovery, the comet was about 420 million miles from Earth, near Jupiter, and closing in on what is considered the inner solar system. Despite its distance, NASA said the comet poses no threat to Earth or the Moon, as the interstellar object will remain at least 150 million miles away. A space diagram shows the comet passing between the orbits of Earth and Mars sometime during late fall or early winter, but because of the alignment of planets and the Sun from September through November, it is not expected to be visible. "The interstellar comet's size and physical properties are being investigated by astronomers around the world," NASA stated. "3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December, allowing for renewed observations." See The Objects Humans Left Behind On The Moon Since its initial detection, telescopes located in Hawaii, South Africa, California and dozens of other sites have all spotted the comet, which was estimated to be moving through the galaxy at more than 130,000 miles per hour. Early estimates suggest the comet could have a diameter of at least 10 miles, but that figure remains uncertain due to observational limits. According to Nasa, a giant complex of dust and ice is usually less than 10 miles across but can eventually stretch millions of miles when the ice turns into gas and forms a tail. The space agency did not say where astronomers believe the comet originated, though most such objects are thought to come from the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud. These regions are anywhere from about 3 billion miles to nearly a light-year away from Earth and are known for their icy, rocky debris left over from the formation of the solar system. Telescope Captures Stunning Images Of Not 1 But 19 Spiral Galaxies Currently, the comet is said to be observable only through high-powered telescopes, but that could change later in the year as the interstellar object makes its closest approach to Earth. The agency also did not state if they believe one day the interstellar object will one day enter into any type of orbit around the Sun. According to astronomers, the closest a recorded comet has ever come to Earth was in 1770, when what became known as Lexell's Comet passed about 1.4 million miles article source: Astronomers spot rare interstellar comet speeding through solar system
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A comet from an entirely different solar system is flying through ours, NASA says
An interstellar tourist is taking a quick trip through our solar system, becoming one of just three known objects to ever do so, according to NASA. A comet from a solar system outside our own was first noticed on July 1 by a NASA telescope located in Rio Hurtado, Chile, as part of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). When scanning the sky for space debris that could pose a threat to Earth, it detected a then-unknown object zipping through space. NASA then gathered data collected about the object from several telescopes around the world, tracing its earliest captured appearance back to June 14. Officially named 3I/ATLAS, the comet was confirmed as having originated outside of Earth's solar system on July 3, according to the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. It is believed to be about 20 kilometers, or over 12 miles wide, according to the ESA and traveling at about 60 kilometers, or 37 miles per second relative to the sun. The visitor poses no threat, NASA said, as it will remain at least 150 million miles away from Earth. It is 420 million miles away as of July 3, and will reach its closest point to the sun around Oct. 30, when it passes by at a distance of about 130 million miles. It will be observable by telescope until September, advised NASA, when it will then approach the sun too closely to be seen, but will be viewable again around December. "While every planet, moon, asteroid, comet and lifeform that formed in our Solar System shares a common origin, a common heritage, interstellar visitors are true outsiders," the ESA said in a post to X, formerly Twitter. Scientists know of only two other interstellar objects that have ever been observed from Earth. The first, 1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua, was discovered by the University of Hawaii's Pan-STARRS1 telescope on Oct. 19, 2017. Described by NASA as "cigar-shaped" with a "reddish hue," it was originally believed to be a comet, then an asteroid, then possibly a comet again. The second, Comet 2I/Borisov, was spotted by amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov of Crimea on Aug. 30, 2019. It streaked through our solar system at 110,000 mph, according to NASA, and behaved more like an active comet. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A space object from another solar system is zipping through ours
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA discovers third interstellar comet
July 3 (UPI) -- NASA discovered the third interstellar comet through a survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. The interstellar comet first observed on Tuesday by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Alert System telescope, or ATLAS, has been officially named 3I/ATLAS. A series of "pre-discovery" observations dating back to June 14 from three ATLAS Telescopes globally and the Zwicky Transient Facility in California's Palomar Observatory have since been collected, along with new observations from several telescopes since the initial report. "If confirmed, it will be the third known interstellar object from outside our solar system that we have discovered," Dr. Mark Norris, a senior lecturer in astronomy at the University of Central Lancashire, told The Guardian. Dr. Paul Chodas, director of the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, told The New York Times there is "no uncertainty" that the comet is from interstellar space, noting speeds that indicate it could not have originated in our solar system. "If you trace its orbit backward, it seems to be coming from the center of the galaxy, more or less," Chodas said. "It definitely came from another solar system. We don't know which one." The comet will reach its closest approach to the Sun around Oct. 30, but it shows no threat to Earth as it will remain at least 150 million miles away. It is currently about 416 million miles from the Sun. In December, the comet is expected to reappear on the other side of the Sun. The comet's size and physical attributes are being investigated. It is expected to remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September. Jake Foster, a Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer, said: "At the moment, the comet is not expected to be visible to the naked eye, but it should be visible through a reasonably sized amateur telescope in late 2025 and early 2026. As it is studied more over the coming weeks, we'll get a better idea of just how visible it will realistically be." In 2017 Oumunamua traveled through the solar system as the first interstellar object. In 2019, the second interstellar comet, Borisov passed by.
