NASA Just Found Something Strange Entering Our Solar System: What Is This Mysterious Visitor?

NASA: NASA-funded telescope in Chile has discovered a new comet that has arrived from interstellar space. On July 1, the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, first reported the sighting of this rare visitor from beyond our solar system. Named 3I/ATLAS, the comet is currently about 420 million miles (670 million kilometers) away, coming from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.   

After the first report, astronomers checked past records and found earlier images of the comet from June 14. 

These “pre-discovery” observations came from three ATLAS telescopes around the world and the Zwicky Transient Facility at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. Since its discovery, many telescopes have continued to track the comet.

There is no threat to Earth from 3I/ATLAS. It will stay at a safe distance of at least 1.6 astronomical units (about 150 million miles or 240 million kilometers) from our planet. 

Currently, it is about 4.5 au (about 416 million miles or 670 million kilometers) away from the Sun. The comet will reach its closest point to the Sun around October 30, coming within 1.4 au (about 130 million miles or 210 million kilometers), which is just inside the orbit of Mars.

Astronomers worldwide are now studying the size and physical properties of 3I/ATLAS. The comet should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September before it moves too close to the Sun to be seen. 

It is expected to appear again on the other side of the Sun by early December, allowing astronomers to continue observing this visitor from interstellar space.

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