Tag: Interstellar Objects
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Interstellar Visitors Upend Planet and Comet Formation Theories
Introduction: A trio of interstellar visitors changing the game In the past eight years, our solar system has been visited by three confirmed interstellar objects: 1I/’Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov, and 3I/ATLAS. Each is distinct, challenging long-held ideas about how planets and comets form around stars. The discoveries suggest that interstellar travelers—made far beyond our own stellar neighborhood—could…
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Astronomers Edge Closer to 3I/ATLAS’s Origins and Other Striking Science Finds This Week
Interstellar Clues: 3I/ATLAS and the Quest to Determine Its Origins The week’s science headlines were dominated by an enigmatic visitor from beyond our solar system: the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. First spotted in late June, this icy traveler has become a window into the distant past of our galaxy. Researchers are piecing together a story about…
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This Week in Science: Tracing an Interstellar Comet, a Deep-Earth Gravity Anomaly, and AI-Designed Viruses
Interstellar Clues: Tracing the Origins of Comet 3I/ATLAS This week’s astronomy headlines center on the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS, the first known comet from beyond our solar system. Discovered in late June, 3I/ATLAS has since become a prime focus for scientists seeking to understand its age, trajectory, and birthplace within the galaxy. The latest analyses suggest…
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shows Water Emission Far from the Sun, Hinting at Life-Building Molecules Crossing the Galaxy
Interstellar Guest 3I/ATLAS Delivers Surprising Water Signatures In a landmark discovery, the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS has shown measurable signs of water, challenging assumptions about how water and the ingredients of life might move through the galaxy. As the third known object to enter our solar system from another star, 3I/ATLAS is no longer just a…
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ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
ESA’s Mars Orbiters Turn Their Eyes on a True Interstellar Visitor In a surprising turn for planetary science, Europe’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Mars Express have recorded observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. While the nucleus remains far too faint to resolve, the coma surrounding the comet’s icy-rocky core becomes visible in CaSSIS…
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Rare ESA Images Show Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Zooming Past Mars
ESA Captures a Stellar Visitor: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Near Mars The cosmos delivered a rare sight as an interstellar traveler known as 3I/ATLAS made a fleeting, high-speed passage near Mars. The European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that its orbiting observers, notably the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express mission, managed to capture…
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Captured by Mars Orbiter
European Mars Orbiter Captures 3I/ATLAS During Distant Flyby In a rare encounter with a traveler from beyond the solar system, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passed by Mars on October 3, skimming within 19 million miles (about 30 million kilometers) of the Red Planet. The European Space Agency (ESA) reported that its Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)…
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European Mars Orbiter Captures Starlight Visitor: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Zooms Past Mars
Eyes on the Sky: ExoMars TGO Documents an Interstellar Intruder The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars orbiters were on high alert last week as interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passed near the Red Planet. NASA and ESA observers have long anticipated the chance to study these rare visitors up close, and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)…
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Closest View: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Captured by Mars Orbiter
Introduction: A Visitor from Beyond the Solar System Two Mars-orbiting spacecraft have offered the closest view yet of the mysterious interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS. In a concerted effort, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA’s fleet of robotic explorers captured fresh imagery as the comet passed near the Red Planet on its months-long journey through the…
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Closest view of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS captured by Mars orbiter
New milestone in interstellar exploration The European Space Agency (ESA) has released the closest images yet of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured during its pass by Mars on October 3. The images were taken by ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), with Mars Express contributing observations that, together, provide a unique glimpse of the mysterious visitor…