An interstellar visitor to our solar system known as 3I/ATLAS has captivated the public for months, and it’s not hard to see why.
For one, it’s incredibly rare for any kind of space object originating from a star that’s not our sun to be spotted visiting Earth’s cosmic neighborhood. And for another, such an uncommon event has given way to plenty of wild theories about just what the object could be – including an infamous one postulating that it could be an alien spaceship.
But for scientists around the world, the discovery that 3I/ATLAS is making a short journey into and out of our solar system has sparked an urgency to get a closer look at an object that could soon vanish from our sights. Early on, astronomers were able to determine with a high degree of certainty that the object is a comet, but work has continued to get a better idea of its size and physical characteristics.
Thanks_Ollie on
I wish we had the delta V to go visit it, the samples we could get would be incredible
bladesnut on
Are there any new data from yesterday or today’s observations from Mars?
Nemo_Griff on
To be clear, the rare part is that we caught it. Not that it is there or that it got caught by our suns gravity.
And no. It isn’t making a landing on Mars.
stillmind on
Where is Atlas-31 at the moment? Does anyone know?
Agreeable_Minute6220 on
I feel like they have just been stringing us along with no real images or info and today was suppose to be the day we got a better idea according to them
malcolm58 on
COMET 3I/ATLAS HAS REACHED MARS: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is flying past Mars today–and the Mars Fleet is watching. “We’re about to get our best-ever look at an interstellar comet,” says physicist T. Marshall Eubanks from Space Initiatives Inc, who is helping coordinate international spacecraft teams as they train their instruments on 3I/ATLAS.As many as 6 spacecraft could get a close-up view: NASA’s MAVEN and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, ESA’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, the UAE’s Hope probe, and China’s Tianwen-1. Because 3I/ATLAS is now practically invisible from Earth as it swings behind the sun (a blackout that will last until December) Martian spacecraft may provide the only high-quality spectra and images of the comet at its brightest. “The fleet at Mars could deliver the definitive dataset,” write Eubanks and colleagues, who authored a new study urging space agencies to seize this opportunity.
Vendettuh_308 on
A really cool new development I saw was that its trajectory matches that of the direction of the famous WOW! signal from i think 1977. This alignment has an estimated .6% chance of occurring. It is also in near perfect alignment with the planetary disc which is incredible!
TestiColey420 on
I keep seeing there was supposed to be a big update today October 3rd. Man it’s definitely a comet but seriously there are A LOT of cousidences
Andrew-san_ on
I’d like to know about updates too. I think there are too many anomalous characteristics to call it a comet. If it’s not technological it’s at least a new class of object.
phenom7483 on
Guys it’s such a pathetic row
That all the news agencies have almost no update on what conclusions came of 3rd October mars rovers viewing the 3i atlas
It was such a hype made….and suddenly everybody fucks up ….there is no story nor any video of yesterday’s info
Feels like censorship
phenom7483 on
Dude how can they hide ….when so much is in public
12 Comments
An interstellar visitor to our solar system known as 3I/ATLAS has captivated the public for months, and it’s not hard to see why.
For one, it’s incredibly rare for any kind of space object originating from a star that’s not our sun to be spotted visiting Earth’s cosmic neighborhood. And for another, such an uncommon event has given way to plenty of wild theories about just what the object could be – including an infamous one postulating that it could be an alien spaceship.
But for scientists around the world, the discovery that 3I/ATLAS is making a short journey into and out of our solar system has sparked an urgency to get a closer look at an object that could soon vanish from our sights. Early on, astronomers were able to determine with a high degree of certainty that the object is a comet, but work has continued to get a better idea of its size and physical characteristics.
I wish we had the delta V to go visit it, the samples we could get would be incredible
Are there any new data from yesterday or today’s observations from Mars?
To be clear, the rare part is that we caught it. Not that it is there or that it got caught by our suns gravity.
And no. It isn’t making a landing on Mars.
Where is Atlas-31 at the moment? Does anyone know?
I feel like they have just been stringing us along with no real images or info and today was suppose to be the day we got a better idea according to them
COMET 3I/ATLAS HAS REACHED MARS: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is flying past Mars today–and the Mars Fleet is watching. “We’re about to get our best-ever look at an interstellar comet,” says physicist T. Marshall Eubanks from Space Initiatives Inc, who is helping coordinate international spacecraft teams as they train their instruments on 3I/ATLAS.As many as 6 spacecraft could get a close-up view: NASA’s MAVEN and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, ESA’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, the UAE’s Hope probe, and China’s Tianwen-1. Because 3I/ATLAS is now practically invisible from Earth as it swings behind the sun (a blackout that will last until December) Martian spacecraft may provide the only high-quality spectra and images of the comet at its brightest. “The fleet at Mars could deliver the definitive dataset,” write Eubanks and colleagues, who authored a new study urging space agencies to seize this opportunity.
A really cool new development I saw was that its trajectory matches that of the direction of the famous WOW! signal from i think 1977. This alignment has an estimated .6% chance of occurring. It is also in near perfect alignment with the planetary disc which is incredible!
I keep seeing there was supposed to be a big update today October 3rd. Man it’s definitely a comet but seriously there are A LOT of cousidences
I’d like to know about updates too. I think there are too many anomalous characteristics to call it a comet. If it’s not technological it’s at least a new class of object.
Guys it’s such a pathetic row
That all the news agencies have almost no update on what conclusions came of 3rd October mars rovers viewing the 3i atlas
It was such a hype made….and suddenly everybody fucks up ….there is no story nor any video of yesterday’s info
Feels like censorship
Dude how can they hide ….when so much is in public
https://youtu.be/nFjO4CTpx54?si=AbZhq0m48LZVbSj0