For several months now, astronomers have been carefully observing mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS as it tears through the solar system at breakneck speed.
And before he finally leaves us forever, the object – which It is widely believed that it is a cometdespite other theories, which we'll talk about in a minute, it's expected to make its closest approach to Earth in just over a week, coming within just 167 million miles. Although this is still about 1.5 times the distance from Earth to the Sun, nearby spacecraft are already making the most of this opportunity.
NASA Hubble Space Telescope took pictures of an unusual visitor on November 30th. when it was only 178 million miles away, follow-up observations after the telescope noticed the object back in July. Using its Wide Field Camera 3 instrument, Hubble detected 3I/ATLAS's coma, a fuzzy atmosphere of ice and dust surrounding its core in the form of an eerie blue glow.
“3I/ATLAS will pass closest to Earth on December 19, 2025,” explained Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, who has long championed the far-fetched theory that the object could be an alien spacecraft. his blog. “Fortunately, this date coincides with the new moon, when the view of the sky will not be spoiled by moonlight, making it an ideal night for observations by ground-based telescopes.”
“My hope,” he added, “is that we will gain new insight into the nature of 3I/ATLAS at that time from data from hundreds of observatories, including the Hubble and Webb Space Telescopes.”
Even after it approaches Earth, astronomers will continue to observe the unusual guest.
“Observations are expected to continue for several months as 3I/ATLAS heads beyond the solar system,” NASA. noted on his website.
Separate observations from the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft last month also discovered surprising activity as it was heated by the Sun, losing mass in the form of sublimating ice.
ESA scientists expect most of the data collected by the spacecraft's science instruments to arrive at the end of February.
In addition to its closest approach to Earth, 3I/ATLAS is also expected to pass Jupiter next spring, another tantalizing opportunity to study only the third interstellar object cruising through our solar system ever identified in history using NASA's Asteroid Last Alert System (ATLAS), a network of ground-based telescopes.
Another intriguing theory: objects such as 3I/ATLAS may have once brought life to Earth billions of years ago. This theory is known as “panspermia”.
Recent observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. found significant amounts methanol gas and hydrogen cyanide, important precursors to the formation of life.
Scientists also speculate that it could have come from another planetary system much older than ours, a tantalizing possibility that “gives me the creeps, frankly,” said NASA's lead scientist for small solar system bodies, Tom Statler. told reporters during a briefing last month.
More information about 3I/ATLAS: NASA Discovers 3I/ATLAS Contains Ingredients for Life
