Space enthusiasts, get ready for a cosmic thrill! A newly spotted comet, 3I/ATLAS, has been detected by the U.S. space agency NASA using the ATLAS telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. This interstellar visitor is only the third of its kind to grace our solar system, following the famed 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
Zooming at an impressive 60 kilometers per second from the center of the Milky Way, 3I/ATLAS is currently about 670 million kilometers from Earth. University of Hawaii astronomer Larry Denneau explained that the comet, while showing a faint coma now, might develop a more dramatic tail and coma as it approaches the sun – even coming within the orbit of Mars later this year!
Rest assured, astronomical observations confirm that the comet poses no threat, as it will never approach Earth closer than 240 million kilometers. This interstellar journey is an exciting reminder of how much there still is to explore in our vast universe. 🚀🌠
Reference(s):
Newly found comet is 3rd interstellar object seen in our solar system
cgtn.com
