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ESA Confirms A11pl3Z as Third Known Interstellar Visitor
- Earlier this week, the ATLAS survey team detected A11pl3Z on July 1, designating it as a potential third interstellar visitor.
- Following the detection, astronomers traced A11pl3Z's path back to June 14, estimating eccentricity at six, confirming its interstellar origin, as explained by Paul Weigert.
- Analysis shows A11pl3Z is moving faster than previous interstellar objects, with an estimated diameter of 10–20 kilometers, confirmed by astronomers including Weigert.
- The interstellar object A11pl3Z will pass near Mars in October, with perihelion expected then, and will remain observable through next year, offering rare scientific study opportunities.
- Beyond this encounter, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory could detect interstellar visitors monthly, offering rare opportunities to study extrasolar material and improve future detection rates.
89 Articles
89 Articles
After Oumuamua and Borisov a third interstellar visitor reaches our solar system. The comet still holds many secrets.
Third interstellar object detected racing through solar system
Astronomers on Wednesday confirmed the discovery of an interstellar object racing through our solar system — only the third ever spotted, though scientists suspect many more may slip past unnoticed. The visitor from the stars, designated 3I/Atlas, is likely the largest yet detected and has been classified as a comet, or cosmic snowball. “It looks kind of fuzzy,” said Peter Veres, an astronomer with the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Pl…
Sydney Morning Herald
Astronomers investigate mystery ‘interstellar’ object speeding through our solar system
A telescope in Chile spotted what initially looked like an unknown asteroid on a highly eccentric path that might come close to Earth’s orbit.
New interstellar object - Update - It's a comet
A new object is entering the Solar System from interstellar space. Provisionally named A11pl3Z, it is about 20 kilometers wide and currently travelling at a blistering 66 km/s. Early measurements of its orbit suggest an eccentricity of 6 which, if confirmed, would be strong evidence that it comes from another star. A11pl3Z was first photographed by NASA's ATLAS asteroid system on June 14th. Only now, though, are astronomers understanding its sig…
A Newly Discovered Interstellar Object That Is 12 Miles Wide Is Rapidly Speeding Toward The Sun – Could It Potentially Collide With Mars?
Astronomers just discovered that an absolutely gigantic space rock that they have never seen before has entered our solar system. For now, they are referring to this giant space rock as “A11pl3Z”, and they are scrambling to find out all they can about it. At this stage, they don’t even know if it is a comet, an asteroid or something else. What they do know is that it is very large. According to one estimate, it is 12 miles wide. That means that …
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