Tag: Interstellar Comet
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Watch Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Speed Away: Free Live Telescope Stream on Nov. 16
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Heads for the Cosmic Exit On November 16, stargazers and science enthusiasts will have a front-row seat to one of the most captivating celestial events of the year: the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS speeding away from the Sun on an escape trajectory from our solar system. Thanks to the Virtual Telescope Project, a…
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Tianwen 1 Captures Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS During Mars Flyby
Overview: Tianwen 1’s New Look at an Interstellar Visitor The Chinese Mars orbiter Tianwen 1 has expanded its scientific mission by imaging 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar comet that recently skimmed past the Red Planet. As one of only a few known interstellar objects entering our solar system, 3I/ATLAS provides a rare opportunity to study matter that…
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New Clues Illuminate the Hidden Crust of 3I/ATLAS, the Interstellar Visitor
Unveiling a Hidden Layer: 3I/ATLAS and the Deep Crust Interstellar visitors offer rare opportunities to study materials from beyond our solar system. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has added a surprising piece to the puzzle of the 3I/ATLAS comet: a deep crust measuring roughly 50 to 65 feet (15 to 20 meters) thick that…
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Brightens as it Passes Behind the Sun: New Study Details Its Fiery Perihelion
Overview: A Rare Visitor with a Blue Glow The interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS has captivated astronomers and space enthusiasts alike as it journeyed through the inner solar system. A new study analyzes its rapid brightening as the comet zipped behind the Sun, reaching perihelion—the closest point to the Sun—on Thursday, October 30. Unlike comets born in…
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Brightens as it Passes Behind the Sun
What makes 3I/ATLAS special? Interstellar 3I/ATLAS is one of the few known visitors from beyond our solar system. Unlike the comets and asteroids that orbit our Sun, 3I/ATLAS originated from another star system, likely sent drifting through the galaxy long before humanity existed. Its journey offered astronomers a rare chance to study material from another…
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Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS nears Sun: Why it matters
Overview: a rare traveler from beyond our Solar System On 29 October 2025, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will reach a critical point as it passes closer to the Sun than any known comet from inside our solar neighborhood. This perihelion passage places the object within roughly 1.36 astronomical units of the Sun, a milestone that…
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Interstellar Visitor Lights Up Mars Sky: First Close Look by ESA Orbiters
Rare Interstellar Visitor Captured by Mars Orbiters In a landmark moment for planetary science and astronomy, an interstellar comet—3I/ATLAS—passed close to Mars on October 3, offering a rare glimpse from Earth’s neighboring planet. The event marked only the third time humanity has observed a true interstellar object, following 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). As the…
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Polarization Parallels: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS and Distant Solar System Comets
Overview Recent polarimetric measurements of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, as reported by Z. Gray and colleagues, offer a surprising parallel with distant solar system comets. The analysis indicates that the microphysical properties of dust in the coma of 3I/ATLAS are not demonstrably different from those of far-flung comets within our own solar system. This finding…
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Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals water far from the Sun
Unveiling a cosmic traveler: 3I/ATLAS The interstellar visitor known as 3I/ATLAS has surprised scientists by showing signs of water activity while still far from the warmth of the Sun. As the third confirmed object to journey into our solar system from another star, 3I/ATLAS is offering a rare glimpse into the chemistry of worlds beyond…
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Comet 3I/ATLAS Flies Past Mars: ESA Captures Interstellar Visitor in Stunning Images
Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS Makes a Close Mars Flyby The rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has once again captured the imagination of space enthusiasts and scientists alike as two European Space Agency (ESA) orbiters around Mars recorded fresh imagery during its closest approach to the Red Planet. Discovered as the third object known to originate from outside…