"This new interstellar object, named C/2025 N1 or 3I/ATLAS, is advancing towards the Sun at an unprecedented speed of about 68 kilometers per second."
"Only two other objects, 'Oumuamua and Comet 2I/Borisov, have been recognized as interstellar, confirming that 3I/ATLAS originates from outside our Solar System."
"Astronomer Michele Bannister describes working on 'Oumuamua' and '2I' as transformational opportunities, anticipating 3I/ATLAS will offer similar insights."
"The object was first detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), a NASA initiative aimed at identifying intriguing celestial bodies."
C/2025 N1 or 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object and is moving towards the Sun at about 68 kilometers per second. Unlike typical Solar System bodies, it is traveling on a trajectory that confirms its origin from outside the Solar System. This new interstellar object seems to be venting gas and dust, indicating comet-like behavior. It was first identified on July 1 by a telescope in Chile operated by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, which automatically identifies objects of interest.
Read at Nature
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]