Everything We Know About the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
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Summary
On 1 July, the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Alert System (ATLAS) discovered 3I/ATLAS, only the third ever interstellar object to be observed in the universe.
While it was initially believed that the object could hit Earth, it became clear that the object would not collide with our planet.
Instead, 3I/ATLAS will pass through the solar system at a distance of approximately 240 million kilometres, and will be visible using ground-based telescopes until September.
When 3I/ATLAS passes the sun at its closest point in October, it will be hidden in the sun’s shadow, becoming invisible to Earth.
However, it will reappear from the sun’s shadow in December, making it visible again.
Astronomers are interested in the object, which came from outside the solar system, as it may provide valuable information about objects in our celestial neighbourhood.
