Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Offers Rare Flyby Opportunity for ESA’s Juice probe, Yields Unique Images
Astronomers have captured striking images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it made a close approach to ESA’s Juice probe this week.The flyby, occurring at a distance of roughly 150 million kilometers, provided a rare opportunity to study the comet’s unusual features, including its prominent anti-tail, up close.
Discovered in July, 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object to pass through our solar system. Unlike typical comets originating within our system, 3I/ATLAS doesn’t orbit the sun and is traveling at an exceptionally high speed – up to 250,000 kilometers per hour – ensuring it will continue its journey outward after this brief visit. The comet’s closest approach to Earth will be in the second half of December, at a distance of 270 million kilometers.This event is important because it allows scientists a unique glimpse into the composition of objects originating from outside our solar system, possibly revealing clues about the formation of planetary systems around other stars.
The comet’s anti-tail, a rare phenomenon, is caused by the ejection of large dust particles from the sun-facing side of the comet’s nucleus, as explained by astronomer David Jewitt from the University of California in Los Angeles to Sky & Telescope. “The comet ejects large dust particles towards the Sun because the day side of the nucleus is too hot. These gradually end up in the tail behind the body,” Jewitt said.
Scientists estimate the comet’s icy core to be between 440 meters and 5.6 kilometers in diameter. The Juice probe’s observations, combined with data from NASA and ESA, are helping refine these estimates and provide a more detailed understanding of the comet’s structure.
Key facts about Comet 3I/ATLAS:
* First recorded in July.
* Only the third confirmed interstellar object to enter our solar system.
* Features an icy core and a surrounding cloud of gas and dust.
* Will not be gravitationally bound to the Sun, continuing its trajectory out of the solar system.
* Reached a recorded speed of 250,000 kilometers per hour, the fastest for an interstellar object observed within our system.
Source: ESA, NASA
