NASA’s Latest Findings on Comet 3I/ATLAS
NASA has unveiled new insights into the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered on July 1 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Initially spotted at a distance of 675 million kilometers from the Sun, this comet has captured the attention of astronomers worldwide. The US-based space agency has announced that a team of astronomers has obtained the sharpest image yet of the comet using the Hubble Space Telescope’s advanced capabilities.
Comet’s Nucleus Size and Speed
According to observations made by Hubble, the nucleus of comet 3I/ATLAS is estimated to be between 320 meters and 5.6 kilometers in diameter. This is a significant refinement from earlier estimates, which suggested that its icy core could be several miles wide. The comet is traveling through our solar system at an astonishing speed of 130,000 miles (209,000 kilometers) per hour, marking it as the fastest recorded visitor to our solar system.
Challenges in Determining Comet’s Origin
Despite these advancements, the solid core of the comet remains elusive, even to Hubble’s powerful vision. David Jewitt, a scientist from the University of California, Los Angeles, and leader of the Hubble observation team, explained that pinpointing the comet’s origin is challenging. He likened it to glimpsing a rifle bullet for a fraction of a second, making it difficult to trace its path accurately.
Observations of Dust Plume and Tail
Hubble has also captured images showing a dust plume being ejected from the side of the comet warmed by the Sun, along with a faint dust tail trailing away from its nucleus. Jewitt noted that this interstellar visitor is part of a previously undetected population of objects now observable thanks to enhanced sky survey technologies.