Swift Summary
- NASA has discovered an interstellar comet named 3I/ATLAS.
- Observations gathered from ATLAS telescopes and the Zwicky Transient Facility extend back to June 14, predating the comet’s official finding.
- 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth and will maintain a minimum distance of 1.6 astronomical units (approximately 150 million miles). Its closest approach to the sun is expected on October 30, at a distance of approximately 1.4 au (130 million miles).
- The comet is currently being studied by astronomers worldwide for its size and physical characteristics.
- It will remain visible to ground-based telescopes through september but will pass too close to the Sun after that. Observations are expected to resume in December when it re-emerges on the other side of the Sun.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The discovery of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS highlights humanity’s continuing strides in understanding cosmic phenomena beyond our solar system.For India, as it grows its space exploration endeavors through missions like Chandrayaan and Aditya-L1, this development underscores opportunities for collaborative international research efforts in astronomy and astrophysics. India’s growing network of observatories could contribute valuable data on such discoveries while fostering global cooperation in scientific research.
Read more: NASA Discovers Third Interstellar Comet