Third-Ever Interstellar Object Blazes Through Our Solar System
Astronomers have confirmed that they found the third interstellar object to pass through our solar system. Scientists all over the world are excited about this rare event. This icy traveler, called 3I/Atlas, looks like the biggest object ever found in space. It moves so quickly that it can get away from the Sun’s gravity.
3I/Atlas: A Cosmic Snowball from Another Star System
The new object, 3I/Atlas, is a comet made of ice and dust. It glows softly and might even have a short tail. Peter Veres, an astronomer at the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Centre, said that it gives off gas as it gets closer to the Sun. This reaction makes the comet look like it’s glowing.
Scientists first spotted 3I/Atlas through a Chile-based observatory under the NASA-funded ATLAS survey. Its unusual path confirms that it came from beyond our Solar System.
Scientists say that Earth is safe, even though it moves very quickly—over 60 kilometres (37 miles) per second. Richard Moissl of the European Space Agency said that the comet will go inside Mars’ orbit. But it won’t get close enough to be a problem.
On October 29, 3I/Atlas will be closest to the Sun, which is called perihelion. After that, it will go out of the Solar System and into interstellar space.
So far, astronomers have confirmed only two other interstellar objects: ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. These objects likely formed around distant stars and were pushed out by strong gravitational forces.
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center, called them “rogue snowballs” drifting across the galaxy. Scientists are eager to study 3I/Atlas to learn more about its shape, spin, and composition. Estimates suggest the object is 10 to 20 kilometers wide — making it the largest of its kind ever detected.
More Interstellar Visitors Likely
Mark Norris from the University of Central Lancashire believes thousands of similar objects may pass through our Solar System unnoticed. Fortunately, new observatories like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will help spot more of them in the future.
In the meantime, this Third-Ever Interstellar Object gives us a rare and valuable glimpse into the distant regions beyond our star system.
