Avi Loeb and Shokhruz Kakharov identified the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS as potentially older than the sun, tracing its path to a denser area in the Milky Way where older stars exist. Observations indicate that 3I/ATLAS shows signs of being a comet, similar to the comet 2I/Borisov. Additionally, the study compared the origins of 3I/ATLAS with past interstellar visitors including Borisov and 1I/Oumuamua, suggesting they could be extraterrestrial probes. The object's unique trajectory suggests an older cosmic background compared to our solar system.
3I/ATLAS is among the elders in our cosmic block, having traveled from a thicker part of the Milky Way's disk where older stars reside and is believed to be older than our sun.
3I/ATLAS is now believed to be showing signs of being a comet, with initial observations hinting at a cloud of gas and dust surrounding it and a short tail.
Loeb contends that the origins of interstellar objects, including Borisov and Oumuamua, may lend weight to the hypothesis that they are not mere space rocks but potentially extraterrestrial probes.
By tracing the path of 3I/ATLAS backward, it was found to have traveled greater distances vertically, straying farther from the Milky Way's flat central plane than the sun itself.
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