3I/ATLAS: Image shows grown tail of the interstellar comet
The third known interstellar comet in the solar system is now too close to the sun. An impressive image of its tail was taken beforehand.
Image of 3I/Atlas with different filters: Because the comet has moved in front of the stars in between, they appear as colorful stripes
(Image: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/Shadow the Scientist)
Together with students, a research group led by astronomer Karen Meech from the University of Hawai'i has taken images of 3I/ATLAS that show the growing tail of the interstellar comet. The images were taken on August 27 using a spectrograph at the Gemini South Observatory, the US research facility NoirLab has now announced. They were taken as part of a program designed to bring the public into contact with high-ranking research instruments. People from the USA, Europe, New Zealand, and South America took part via video link. Spectral data was also collected as part of the observation, which should reveal the composition of the celestial body.
Even fleeting visitors can leave an impression
So far, only the photos taken during the event have been published; the analysis of the spectral data is not yet available. Nevertheless, those responsible are impressed, as the grown tail indicates that it now consists of different particles than in previous images. The analysis will therefore be exciting. The image also reminds us that the solar system is only a small part of our large and dynamic home galaxy, says Meech, and “even the most fleeting visitors can leave a lasting impression.” By analyzing interstellar comets like 3I/ATLAS, we can better understand worlds beyond our own, adds her colleague Bryce Bolin.
3I/ATLAS was discovered at the beginning of July with the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile, hence its name. The interstellar comet is only the third ever visitor to our solar system to be discovered during transit. When 3I/ATLAS reaches its closest point to the sun in the fall and loses a lot of material in the process, analyses from Earth will be extremely difficult or impossible due to its position. For this reason, a research team has already argued in favor of using space probes distributed throughout the solar system for observations. Its passage through the solar system could now also serve as an opportunity to prepare a mission that could visit a similar celestial body. That would be possible.
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The interstellar comet probably comes from the fringes of the Milky Way—the so-called thick disk—and is probably much older than the Earth, the sun, and the entire solar system. Initial analyses revealed this back in July. One of the indications of this is its speed, as 3I/ATLAS is racing through the solar system much faster than the other two interstellar visitors, 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov. Because the comet is now too close to the sun from our perspective, it will not be observable from Earth until December. After that, however, telescopes should be able to find it again and follow its departure from the solar system.
(mho)
