Why in news?
Astronomers confirmed that a comet designated 3I/Atlas is only the third interstellar object ever observed passing through our solar system. Its hyperbolic path indicates it originated outside the Sun’s gravitational influence.
About 3I/Atlas
- Interstellar origin: It follows an open hyperbolic trajectory, meaning it is not bound to the Sun and is speeding through space at about 60 km/s.
- Discovery: The Asteroid Terrestrial‑impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile spotted it when it was about 670 million km from the Sun.
- Current location: The object is near Jupiter’s orbit, around 917 million km from Earth.
- Oldest known comet: Researchers estimate it to be roughly 7 billion years old, predating the formation of our 4.6‑billion‑year‑old solar system.
Significance
- Clues to alien worlds: Analysing 3I/Atlas could reveal the chemical and physical makeup of distant planetary systems.
- Rare sample: This is only the third known interstellar visitor after 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019), offering a unique opportunity to study material from beyond the solar neighbourhood.
- Scientific confirmation: Scientists confirmed its interstellar nature by calculating its hyperbolic trajectory and noting its high inbound velocity.