There’s a lot of buzz around 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object we’ve found. Some suggest it’s an alien spacecraft, while others propose using Mars probes to study it. Recently, researchers Samuel Grand and Geraint Jones have come up with an idea that’s both creative and feasible. Their paper suggests that two spacecraft—Hera and Europa Clipper—could study atoms from 3I/ATLAS as it comes close to the Sun.
Hera is on its way to Didymos-Dimorphos, a binary asteroid that the DART mission impacted last year. Europa Clipper is headed for Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, to investigate its icy surface. Both spacecraft are expected to pass near 3I/ATLAS soon. Hera has a window between October 25th and November 1st, while Europa Clipper is set for October 30th to November 6th.
While this window is short, scientists know that sometimes they must work with what they have. The comet’s tail has been expanding since its discovery in early June, and recent findings suggest it’s releasing a significant amount of water and ions, leading to a vibrant trail as it approaches perihelion on October 29th. However, capturing data from the tail isn’t straightforward. The solar wind pushes particles in ways that can make them drift far from the comet itself.
The authors used a model called “Tailcatcher” to estimate where these particles will go based on solar wind speeds. Unfortunately, solar wind data is often collected after the fact, which makes it tricky to plan an accurate path for the spacecraft.
Ultimately, Hera and Europa Clipper will be millions of kilometers away from the comet’s tail center. Hera will be about 8.2 million km away, and Europa Clipper about 8 million km. Despite this distance, it’s possible they could still gather meaningful data since active comets can spread particles over vast areas.
However, Hera doesn’t have the right instruments to detect ions or analyze magnetic field changes. On the other hand, Europa Clipper is equipped with the necessary tools, making it the better candidate for this unexpected mission.
Timing is everything. The mission teams need to decide quickly if they can adjust their routes to pass through 3I/ATLAS’s tail. If they do, they’ll make history as the first to capture data from an interstellar comet’s tail, adding a fascinating layer to their original missions.
According to the European Space Agency, studying 3I/ATLAS may give us new insights into the formation of our solar system and beyond. This makes the potential opportunity to sample the tail even more exciting. Such discoveries could reshape our understanding of planetary development in the cosmos.
This is more than just an exciting episode in space science; it reminds us of how interconnected our universe is. Each new finding opens the door to more questions and challenges us to explore further.
For those wanting to dive deeper into this topic, the original paper can be found on the Universe Today.
