.png)
4 months ago
11
ARTICLE AD BOX
The rare interstellar object called 3I/ATLAS, which originated from outside our solar system, is all set to reach its closest point to the Sun around October 29/30.
It is expected to zoom past the Sun at a distance of about 1.4 au (130 million miles, or 210 million kilometers) — just inside the orbit of Mars.
Comet 3I/ATLAS is currently the most talked-about interstellar object among astronomers and scientists who are working around the clock to study its size and physical properties.
Is the comet 3I/ATLAS a threat to Earth? Can we watch it in the skies? Does it have any links to 'aliens'? Where has it come from? Let's delve deep into what exactly is comet 3I/ATLAS.
When was comet 3I/ATLAS discovered?
Comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025, by NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile.
Where did it come from?
An official of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) said Comet 3I/ATLAS came from outside our solar system. When the orbit of 3I/ATLAS is traced back in time, the comet clearly originates from outside our solar system.
"Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our solar system to be discovered passing through our celestial neighborhood," NASA said.
How this comet got its name?
Comets are generally named after their discoverer(s). In this case, it was the ATLAS survey team. The letter “I” is for “interstellar,” indicating that this object came from outside our solar system.
It’s the third known interstellar object – following 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019 – hence the “3” in the name.
Why is it called an interstellar object?
According to NASA, astronomers categorised Comet 3I/ATLAS as an interstellar object because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path. It does not follow a closed orbital path about the Sun.
Every planet, moon, asteroid, comet and lifeform in our Solar System share a common origin. But interstellar comets are "true outsiders", carrying clues about the formation of worlds far beyond our own, the ESA said.
Does Comet 3I/ATLAS pose any threat to Earth?
NASA stated that Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a safe distance.
When will the comet approach closest to Sun?
The closest it will approach Earth is about 1.8 astronomical units (about 170 million miles, or 270 million kilometers). It will reach its closest point to the Sun around October 30, 2025.
What makes its closest approach to Sun interesting?
The encounter is expected will change the comet dramatically.
When it swings by the Sun, 3I/ATLAS is likely to flare up dramatically as its ices vaporise, giving astronomers a rare peek at how alien comets behave when they heat up near our star.
Its tail might become bigger and brighter. Astronomers are also watching for the direction of the comet's tail.
Space agencies said that the "coma" of the comet is created as 3I/ATLAS approaches the Sun.
The Sun’s heat and radiation are bringing the comet to life, causing it to release gas and dust, which collects as this halo surrounding the nucleus, the ESA said.
Eventually, the material from the coma is swept into a long tail, which can grow up to millions of kilometres long as the comet moves closer to the Sun.
Can we see it from the ground here on Earth?
3I/ATLAS may remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September 2025, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe.
It will reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December 2025, allowing for renewed observations.
But reports suggest that 3I/ATLAS is currently hidden in the glare of the sun and is not visible from Earth.
Can we see the tail of the comet?
The “coma” of the comet, measuring a few thousand kilometres, was "clearly visible" in the image shared by the ESA on October 7. The ESA had captured a glimpse of the comet as it passed close to Mars on October 3.
In the video below, Comet 3I/ATLAS is said to be that “slightly fuzzy white dot” moving downwards near the centre of the image. This dot is the centre of the comet, comprising its icy-rocky nucleus and its surrounding coma.
Does comet 3I/ATLAS have an "alien" connection?
“Is it an alien tech masquerading as a natural comet?,” Harvard scientist Avi Loeb questioned in his blog.
Avi Loeb warned that the Manhattan-sized interstellar object zipping through our solar system could be more spaceship than snowball — a “Trojan horse” of outer space secrets — whose presence has major implications for “humanity."
Loeb also expressed concern over ATLAS’s non-gravitational acceleration and anomalous trajectory that will bring it suspiciously close to Jupiter, Venus and Mars, the New York Post reported.
He pointed out — in a somewhat far-fetched paper published in July — that these factors could suggest that it was an alien probe that was sent to conduct reconnaissance on Earth, possibly with hostile intentions.
Could it be a ‘black swan event’?
Loeb speculated that the international community should remain vigilant and formulate a defense plan if 31/ATLAS is a “black swan event" — defined as a high-impact, unpredictable event that is rare, has a major impact, and is difficult to forecast under normal circumstances but appears to be inevitable in hindsight.
What is the comet made of?
The ESA said scientists will continue analysing data, trying to figure out more about what 3I/ATLAS is made of and how it is behaving as it approaches the Sun.
According to Gulf News, 3I/ATLAS has an interesting chemistry — "it’s loaded with carbon dioxide, cyanide, and even atomic nickel vapor, which gives it a unique glow and smell (if you could somehow sniff space)."
The comet’s nucleus is less than 1 km wide, surrounded by a glowing cloud of dust and gas (the coma)," the report added.
How old is comet 3I/ATLAS?
Based on its trajectory, astronomers suspect that 3I/ATLAS could be the oldest comet ever observed. As per the ESA, it may be 3 billion years older than the Solar System, which is itself already 4.6 billion years old.
English (US) ·