An interstellar comet named 3I/ATLAS is lighting up space with an impressive jet of ice and dust. Recent images capture this celestial traveler as it hurtles toward the sun. The comet’s icy core appears as a dark spot, surrounded by a glowing atmosphere known as the coma. A purple jet streams off in the sun’s direction, typical behavior for comets as they approach our star.
3I/ATLAS is special—it’s just the third interstellar object found in our solar system. It will make its closest pass to Earth on October 30, coming within 1.8 astronomical units (the distance from Earth to the sun). Stargazers with small telescopes can expect to spot it before it vanishes into space again.
Astronomers first detected the comet’s jet on October 15 using the Astronomer’s Telegram, a platform for sharing astronomical findings. The new images were taken on August 2 at the Two-meter Twin Telescope in the Canary Islands. Miquel Serra-Ricart, an astrophysicist involved in the project, indicated that the comet’s tail is typical for these cosmic objects, consisting of both jets and a tail pointing away from the sun.
As comets get closer to the sun, heat causes them to release gases. Areas facing the sun warm up more quickly, and if the surface has weaker spots, gas can burst out. This is likely what caused the jet from 3I/ATLAS. Interestingly, the jet could be around 6,200 miles (10,000 km) long—more than twice the distance across the largest part of the United States. It’s mostly made of carbon dioxide and dust particles, similar to materials observed by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in August.
Comets often display fascinating behavior. As 3I/ATLAS rotates, its jets may fan out, with some material staying in the coma while the rest gets pushed back into the tail by the sun’s pressure, known as solar wind. A similar phenomenon was observed with the comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE, which shone brightly in our night sky back in 2020.
This ongoing study of comets not only enriches our understanding of space but also helps refine our technology for future research. As we continue to explore these interstellar visitors, the insights gained could have broader implications in fields like planetary science and even the search for extraterrestrial life.
