NASA has finally put the speculation about 3I/ATLAS to rest. The agency's latest move confirms that the object is indeed a comet, not an alien spacecraft as some had speculated online.
The news comes after weeks of silence from NASA, which has been busy analyzing data from various missions tracking the interstellar object. The results of these observations were shared during a press conference on Tuesday, featuring scientists who explained their findings in detail.
According to the scientists, 3I/ATLAS is a comet that has been traveling through our solar system for millions of years. Its unique shape was captured by the SOHO solar probe, which took stunning images of the object as it approached the sun.
The data from other NASA missions, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and MAVEN satellite, also provided valuable insights into 3I/ATLAS's composition and behavior. These observations were crucial in understanding the comet's true nature and how it interacts with the surrounding environment.
One of the most interesting images was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which showed the comet as a bright orb surrounded by a cloud of dust ejected as it approached the sun.
The scientists clarified that all the data collected will be publicly available for anyone to investigate. This move comes as a welcome relief for the scientific community, which had been eagerly waiting for more information about this mysterious object.
3I/ATLAS is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025, at a safe distance of approximately 267 million kilometers away. Additional observing campaigns are already planned by NASA and other space agencies to capture better photographs and relevant data.
The discovery of 3I/ATLAS marks the third confirmed interstellar object in history, following Halley's Comet and 'Oumuamua.
The news comes after weeks of silence from NASA, which has been busy analyzing data from various missions tracking the interstellar object. The results of these observations were shared during a press conference on Tuesday, featuring scientists who explained their findings in detail.
According to the scientists, 3I/ATLAS is a comet that has been traveling through our solar system for millions of years. Its unique shape was captured by the SOHO solar probe, which took stunning images of the object as it approached the sun.
The data from other NASA missions, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and MAVEN satellite, also provided valuable insights into 3I/ATLAS's composition and behavior. These observations were crucial in understanding the comet's true nature and how it interacts with the surrounding environment.
One of the most interesting images was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which showed the comet as a bright orb surrounded by a cloud of dust ejected as it approached the sun.
The scientists clarified that all the data collected will be publicly available for anyone to investigate. This move comes as a welcome relief for the scientific community, which had been eagerly waiting for more information about this mysterious object.
3I/ATLAS is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025, at a safe distance of approximately 267 million kilometers away. Additional observing campaigns are already planned by NASA and other space agencies to capture better photographs and relevant data.
The discovery of 3I/ATLAS marks the third confirmed interstellar object in history, following Halley's Comet and 'Oumuamua.