NASA has presented new images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

NASA has presented the most detailed images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, confirming the absence of a threat to Earth and refuting the versions spread on the web about its "alien" origin. The object meets all the signs of a classic comet and only passes through the Solar system. This was reported on November 19 in the journal Popular Science.

As explained in the article, 3I/ATLAS has become the third interstellar object ever recorded by astronomers. It is moving at a speed of over 130,000 miles per hour and has a pronounced gas and dust cloud. The set of images was obtained by several devices at once: the JWST and Hubble telescopes, the LUCY spacecraft, as well as the MAVEN and STEREO-A orbital missions.

According to Dr. Tom Statler, a leading expert on small bodies in the Solar system, the discovery expands researchers' understanding of the diversity of interstellar objects. He noted that the comet "pushes the boundaries of the familiar" and provides a unique opportunity to study materials formed in another planetary system.

NASA clarified that the comet does not approach the Earth closer than 170 million miles, although in October it passed within 19 million miles of Mars. MAVEN spectroscopic data made it possible to trace the chemical composition of the object, detecting the formation of hydrogen at the moments when sunlight evaporates water ice from the surface of the core.

Blazar series: merging of black holes will help to measure the universe more accurately

How the study of mysterious space objects will allow the creation of sensors and devices of a new generation

The researchers also commented on recent reports of an alleged "altered color" of the comet. The analysis showed that we are talking about an increase in brightness as we approach the Sun, while 3I/ATLAS itself is "distinctly bluer than the Sun" and does not show any anomalies in the spectrum. Representatives of the Lowell Observatory stressed that the data remains stable and consistent with models of interstellar icy bodies.

A NASA expert group suggested that the comet may come from an older star system, which makes it an important target for further observation. In the coming months, the main work on tracking the object will be transferred to the JWST space telescope, the only instrument capable of conducting deep spectral analysis at a distance when 3I/ATLAS begins to leave the Solar System.

Asteroids and asteroids: should we be afraid of celestial bodies

The scientist told why earthlings should not be afraid of collisions with space objects.

On November 4, Popular Science magazine reported the brightest black hole flare in history. It was noted that the radiation was brighter than 10 million suns and "swallowed up" a nearby star. According to the publication, the outbreak surpassed all previously observed phenomena of this kind.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.