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It’s official! An interstellar object is visiting our solar system
EarthSky dot org ^ | July 2, 2025 | Kelly Kizer Whitt

Posted on 07/03/2025 5:26:55 PM PDT by SunkenCiv

For only the 3rd time in history, astronomers have found an interstellar object hurtling through our solar system...

The Minor Planet Center (MPC) confirmed its new designation on July 2, 2025, as 3I/ATLAS, or C/2025 N1. The MPC also said:

There are tentative reports of cometary activity … with a marginal coma and a short 3-arcsecond tail....

We are currently being visited by what appears to be a comet from another solar system...

We only know of two other interstellar objects that have entered into our solar system before, 'Oumuamua and Comet 2I/Borisov. The nature of 'Oumuamua is still a matter of debate, and the second was a comet from another solar system. And now we have a third interstellar visitor. First named A11pl3Z, the object is now designated as 3I/ATLAS, or C/2025 N1. The object's trajectory indicates it didn't originate inside our own solar system...

The dim space rock is currently at about magnitude 18.8. Our new visitor will get its closest to the sun – at about 2 astronomical units (AU), or twice as far as Earth is from the sun – in October. As it reaches perihelion – its closest point to the sun – it should be moving at about 68 km/s relative to the sun, or at about 152,000 miles per hour.

Marshall Eubanks, a physicist and VLBI radio astronomer and co-founder of Space Initiatives, said on the Minor Planet Mailing List that the object could be as large as 12 miles (20 km) in diameter. It will also come within about 0.4 AU of Mars in October, which would make it just barely observable by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. With the current orbital data, Eubanks said:

This object appears to be coming from the thin galactic disk.

(Excerpt) Read more at earthsky.org ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: 3iatlas; a11pl3z; astronomy; c2025n1; catastrophism; comet; comet2iborisov; interstellar; marshalleubanks; oumuamua; science; yomama
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To: mkmensinger

VGER requires the information.


41 posted on 07/04/2025 12:47:55 AM PDT by jmacusa (Liberals. Too stupid to be idiots.)
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To: SunkenCiv

12 miles long? The USS Enterprise? Get ready to be visited. They were waiting for a leader in the White House, they heard Biden and Harris talk and they thought no intelligent life, but when President Trump got elected, they knew we had intelligent life. 😀


42 posted on 07/04/2025 1:28:38 AM PDT by DeplorableTrumpSupporter (FKA ConservaTeen)
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To: SunkenCiv

So long as it comes in legally...


43 posted on 07/04/2025 2:09:49 AM PDT by Adder (End fascism...defeat all Democrats.)
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To: DCBryan1
It is the Thuktun Flishithy.

I am reading Footfall right now!

44 posted on 07/04/2025 5:09:17 AM PDT by Crusher138 ("Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just")
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To: dfwgator

Purple is my 2nd favorite. I been jamming for a week or so.

And with that.

Sanford Townsend Band - Smoke From a Distant Fire
https://youtu.be/wCWVuCCWqzQ?si=7YjJ2iLXV5ntQXEc


45 posted on 07/04/2025 6:03:21 AM PDT by Delta 21 (None of us are descendants of fearful men!)
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To: SunkenCiv

“...Across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the

beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with

envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us....”


46 posted on 07/04/2025 7:14:05 AM PDT by skepsel ("A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime", Mark Twain.)
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To: skepsel
"...we now return you to our program of dance music..."

47 posted on 07/04/2025 7:42:02 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
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To: DeplorableTrumpSupporter; Adder
😊 If it is ET, they're probably just swinging through to make sure our Flag is still there. It is.
CAPTION

48 posted on 07/04/2025 7:47:35 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Related detailed data. It is currently estimated to reach magnitude 10 at closest approach. This comet will be extensively studied and photographed by amateurs like me. 😊

https://theskylive.com/c2025n1-info


49 posted on 07/04/2025 10:32:21 AM PDT by Islander7 (There is no septic system so vile, so filthy, the left won't drink from to further their agenda.)
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To: Islander7

Cool!


50 posted on 07/04/2025 10:42:56 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The moron troll Ted Holden believes that humans originated on Ganymede.)
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To: SunkenCiv

The object is reported as being “fuzzy” by astronomers ... because its a large object [ 20 mile diameter ], or if it is out-gassing [ but it is too far from the Sun for that to occur ], or if it is so bright because it is made of some unknown materiel that is highly reflective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAZky1kGNF8


51 posted on 07/04/2025 1:06:12 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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Correction
not 20 miles, but 20km


52 posted on 07/04/2025 1:08:24 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: SunkenCiv
The nature of 'Oumuamua is still a matter of debate, and the second was a comet from another solar system.

Doesn' t a comet, by definition, orbit a star? So if it left its original system, its not a comet..?
53 posted on 07/06/2025 9:56:37 AM PDT by Svartalfiar (-)
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To: Svartalfiar

The only difference between asteroids and comets is, the comets have frozen water and various gases that boil off during trips near stars.


54 posted on 07/06/2025 11:32:10 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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To: Svartalfiar

Nope.


55 posted on 07/06/2025 6:54:35 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (The Demagogic Party is a collection of violent, rival street gangs.)
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