A new object traveling past the orbit of Jupiter was detected by a Chilean telescope, leading to its identification as the third interstellar visitor. Initially named A11pI3Z, it was later officially named Comet 3I/Atlas. Astronomers worldwide engaged in follow-up work to analyze the object and its trajectory, which was significantly influenced by amateur astronomers who identified the object in prior images. The object's velocity toward the inner solar system was nearly 70 kilometers per second, marking a surprising deviation from typical solar system objects.
The object provisionally named A11pI3Z turned out to be the third interstellar visitor known to science, later officially named Comet 3I/Atlas.
Astronomers worldwide quickly began frenzied follow-up work on A11pI3Z, scrutinizing it and searching for additional sightings in archival observations.
Amateur astronomers from the Deep Random Survey played a key role in tracking A11pI3Z by analyzing images from other ATLAS telescopes.
The object was zooming toward the inner solar system at almost 70 kilometers per second, altering initial expectations about its classification.
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