Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS a bluish tint may appear after passing a quick and unexpected clarifying event while it is hidden behind the Sun, new observations show. This is the third time experts have noted potential changes in the comet's color, but none have been recorded so far.
3I/ATLAS, third known interstellar object visit our solar systemwas seen flying towards the Sun at more than 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h). early July. The comet is potentially oldest of its kind ever seen and was probably expelled from his home star system somewhere on the edge of the Milky Waymore than 7 billion years ago. Since then, it has flown through interstellar space before encountering our solar system.
The comet reached its closest point to the Sun, known as perihelion, on October 29, when it was virtually hidden from us, reaching a minimum distance of 130 million miles (210 million kilometers) from our home star—about 1.4 times farther from the Sun than Earth. The day before, a pair of researchers analyzing data from the spacecraft, which could still see 3I/ATLAS, found that the comet became several orders of magnitude brighter after disappearing from view, which cannot be fully explained by its proximity to the Sun.
IN the same paperThe researchers also wrote that the comet appears “clearly bluer than the Sun,” which was a surprise given that this color had not been observed in a comet until now. This color change is likely the result of a certain gas, such as carbon monoxide or ammonia, leaking from the comet, they say. (This study has not yet been peer-reviewed, and no other observations have yet confirmed the blue coloration.)
The researchers noted that the blue color contrasts sharply with the original red hue emitted by the comet during early observations in July, which was likely the result of the abundance of dust coming off its surface. Then, in September, the comet briefly seemed to turn greenprobably due to the presence of dicarbon or cyanide in his coma.
But these color changes were only temporary, and it is currently unclear why this occurs. Only time and further observations will tell whether the comet's new color will last.
Over the next few weeks, the comet will become increasingly visible to observers in the Northern Hemisphere as it moves north across the night sky. However, this will not be visible to the naked eye, which means you will need decent telescope or a couple binoculars for stargazing to see it for yourself.
3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to our planet on December 19, traveling a minimum distance of 168 million miles (270 million km)—about 1.8 times the Earth-Sun distance. Meanwhile, researchers will be able to get a much better look at the comet, which will allow them look into this even more. Two ESA a spaceship can also fly through the long tail of a comet before it begins its journey back out of the solar system.
Since its first discovery, the extrasolar entity has demonstrated several unusual features, including abundance of carbon dioxide, high level of water leakage And mysterious anti-tail. Researchers also believe that its icy shell may have been converted billions of years of bombardment by cosmic rays, potentially making it difficult to track material from its home star system.
As a result of these anomalous characteristics, some researchers have controversially suggested that 3I/ATLAS may be part of alien technology in disguise. However, there is no conclusive evidence to support this theory, and most experts argue that the object behaves exactly as a comet should behave.
