Exploring Comet 3I/Atlas: NASA's Close-Up Views and Ground Observations
NASA has released detailed images of the interstellar comet that is passing through our solar system on a quick journey. The comet, named 3I/Atlas, was discovered earlier this year and is only the third object confirmed to have originated from another star. It recently flew past Mars at a distance of 18 million miles, with NASA spacecraft and European Space Agency satellites capturing close-up views of the comet. Astronomers are now observing the comet from ground telescopes as it approaches Earth from a distance of 190 million miles.
The comet, named after the telescope in Chile that first spotted it, is estimated to be between 1,444 feet and 3.5 miles across. It will make its closest approach to Earth in mid-December at a distance of 167 million miles before heading back into interstellar space. The European Space Agency's Juice spacecraft, en route to Jupiter, has been studying the comet with its cameras and scientific instruments, but data from these observations will not be available until February due to the spacecraft's proximity to the sun.
The comet is currently visible from Earth in the predawn sky, and can be observed using binoculars or a telescope. Scientists are eager to gather more data on this rare interstellar visitor before it continues its journey beyond our solar system.