From time to time, alarms are lit by a stellar object that is approaching. NASA monitors the risks and possible trajectories of possible unexpected visitors. This time, it is the comet that approaches the sun. How close will it be from us?
NASA's latest land impact alert system discovered it on July 1. It is the third known interstellar object that crosses the solar system.
Kite
According to estimates, it is believed that it comes from Sagittarius constellation. And it is estimated that it has about 20 kilometers in diameter, much larger than Oumuamua and Borisov, the two known interstellar objects.
A follow -up with telescopes from around the world was monitored. And according to ESA, this object is currently about 670 million kilometers from the Sun. Its trajectory indicates that it is directed at full speed into our system. It moves to almost 68 km/Sy will pass near Mars and the Sun at the end of this year.
The Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union has already cataloged the object as a kite. Now it has the 3I/Atlas denomination. It is believed that it could contain clues from another star system. Pascal Lee, planetary scientist of the Seti Institute, commented on his X account that is already in Jupiter's orbit. Its closest point to the Sun is scheduled on October 29. And its point closest to Earth will be on October 30 to 1.35 UA. Therefore, there is no risk of impact.
More data
The comet approaching the sun should remain visible to terrestrial telescopes until September. And after this, due to its proximity to the solar star, it will be very difficult for it to be observed. It is expected to reappear on the other side of the sun in early December. This will allow new observations, according to NASA. Its light curve has not been published yet, so there is still no information about its form or rotation.
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