Astrophysicists are scrambling to study an ancient comet from another star system that entered the solar system this year, and which has already swung past Mars.
Dubbed 3I/ATLAS, the comet poses no threat to Earth or its neighbouring planets, but has aroused immense interest as space agencies train their sights on what is only one of three interstellar objects detected by scientists.
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Here is what we know about the object that is intriguing scientists:
What is the 3I/ATLAS?
The comet is only the third interstellar object ever recorded to pass through Earth’s solar system from another star. Comets are celestial bodies made of ice, dust and gas which orbit the sun. They are considered remnants from when the solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
3I/ATLAS was first discovered in July by scientist Larry Dennau of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope team, located in Rio Hurtado, Chile. The project is funded by NASA and is operated by researchers at the University of Hawaii’s Institute for Astronomy.
Before this, 1I/’Oumuamua, a rocky, cigar-shaped object, was discovered by Canada’s Robert Weryk using the Pan-STARRS telescope at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, in October 2017.
In August 2019, 2I/Borisov, a “rogue comet” – one that is not bound by gravity to any particular star system, so is travelling freely through space – was discovered by the Crimean astronomer and telescope maker Gennadiy Borisov at the MARGO Observatory in Crimea.
Comets are typically named after their human or station founders. The “I” in their names stands for “interstellar”, meaning that it has originated from another solar system.
Where is 3I/ATLAS travelling?
It zipped past Mars earlier in October, coming within 29 million km (18 million miles) of the red planet at a breakneck speed of 310,000km/h (193,000mph).
The comet made its closest approach to the sun at the end of October and is expected to pass closest to Earth in December, when it will be about 270 million km (170 million miles) away, according to NASA. It will still be farther from Earth than the sun, which is 150 million km (93 million miles) away.
Who is studying the comet?
A host of spacecraft and other assets have already set eyes on the celestial visitor, particularly as its current tr