The interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is exhibiting off for astronomers

Right now a comet is hurtling by way of our photo voltaic system at greater than 137,000 miles per hour.

But it’s not simply this interstellar object’s pace that has earthly astronomers glued to their telescopes. No, Comet 3I/ATLAS is also fascinating area specialists with its composition, dimension, trajectory and different properties.

The comet, which poses no threat to Earth, first burst onto the scene July 1, noticed by NASA’s ATLAS survey telescope in Chile. At that point, Comet 3I/ATLAS was manner out close to the orbital path of Jupiter, about 410 million miles away from the solar.

Scientists have since realized extra in regards to the comet. Here are some issues to know as astronomers watch Comet 3I/ATLAS pace by way of our little nook of the universe.

• The comet is interstellar — from one other star system — and fashioned both thousands and thousands or billions of years in the past. It is simply the third interstellar object found, following ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
• The comet’s composition is uncommon in that it’s made up way more of carbon dioxide than water. Its tail additionally seems to have grown because it was first found.
• Scientists estimate the comet’s diameter at between 1 / 4 mile and three.5 miles. Its pace, pegged at 137,000 miles per hour in early July, is growing because it will get nearer to the solar.
• The comet’s path, which resembles a straight shot by way of the photo voltaic system, will ship it harmlessly previous each Earth and the solar. It will get as shut as 130 million miles from the solar in late October, when it will likely be simply contained in the orbit of Mars, and as shut as 168 million miles from Earth in mid-December.
• Comet 3I/ATLAS obtained its title from those that found it — the crew on the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. The “I” stands for interstellar and the “3″ notes that it’s the third such object found.

— Joel Odom writes about trending subjects in information, life and tradition, and sports activities. Reach him at 503-221-8594, jodom@oregonian.com or @jkodom on Blue Sky.