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NASA spots a new comet flying in from a distant star system
NPR ^ | July 3, 20251:15 PM ET | Nell Greenfieldboyce

Posted on 07/03/2025 10:42:31 AM PDT by BenLurkin

Astronomers have spotted a new comet, moving on a trajectory that indicates that it whizzed into our solar system from interstellar space and is just passing through.

It's only the third time scientists have discovered this kind of visitor from outside our solar system. The first two, 'Oumuamua and Comet Borisov, intrigued astronomers because of the chance to observe pieces from another star system beyond our own.

"This is like our chance to randomly sample what's going on in the rest of the galaxy," University of Oxford astrophysicist Chris Lintott recently told NPR, saying he and most other researchers really hadn't given much thought to interstellar objects until the discovery of the first one in 2017.


This diagram shows the trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system. It will make its closest approach to the Sun in October.
NASA/JPL-Caltech

"I think the idea that we could see bits of other solar systems flying through our own really captivated the attention of a whole lot of people who started trying to work on these things," says Lintott.

NASA has named this latest interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, after detecting it this week with the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile.

The comet is now about 420 million miles (670 million kilometers) away. Astronomers around the world are racing to use telescopes to learn more about its size and physical properties.

It's moving fast, but poses no threat to Earth, according to NASA. The object will remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September, then will pass too close to the sun for observations to occur. But in December, it will re-emerge, allowing for more studies.

And astronomers are anticipating an imminent bonanza of new discoveries of interstellar objects, thanks to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a brand new facility with unique capabilities that should allow it to spot lots of interstellar objects in the years to come.

Built with funding from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, the facility will collect a mind-boggling amount of data on the entire southern night sky during a decade-long survey slated to start later this year.


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: 3iatlas; a11pl3z; astronomy; c2025n1; catastrophism; comet; comet2iborisov; interstellar; nasa; oumuamua; science

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1 posted on 07/03/2025 10:42:31 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: All

“I’m just dropping in to see what condition my condition is in”.


2 posted on 07/03/2025 10:45:09 AM PDT by BipolarBob (I tried pushing the envelope but it remained stationery.)
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To: BenLurkin

The Roman’s always do thing in threes!


3 posted on 07/03/2025 10:51:19 AM PDT by 6ppc (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act -George Orwell)
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To: 6ppc

Roman’s = Ramans. Damn autocorrect!


4 posted on 07/03/2025 10:52:12 AM PDT by 6ppc (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act -George Orwell)
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To: BenLurkin

5 posted on 07/03/2025 10:52:25 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: BenLurkin

Have Musk go capture some of it and return the samples to earth!


6 posted on 07/03/2025 10:52:58 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“Diversity is our Strength” just doesn’t carry the same message as “Death from Above”)
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To: BenLurkin

It’s a Vulcan Survey Ship......................


7 posted on 07/03/2025 10:54:22 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: BenLurkin

This appears to happen quite regularly.


8 posted on 07/03/2025 10:55:20 AM PDT by TheDon (Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
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To: BenLurkin

"It's only the third time scientists have discovered this kind of visitor from outside our solar system. The first two, 'Oumuamua and Comet Borisov"

"Oxford astrophysicist Chris Lintott recently told NPR, saying he and most other researchers really hadn't given much thought to interstellar objects until the discovery of the first one in 2017"


9 posted on 07/03/2025 10:59:17 AM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: BenLurkin

It’s a shame we don’t have something prepared to land on it and treat it as a Voyager type program


10 posted on 07/03/2025 11:01:54 AM PDT by daku
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To: BenLurkin

It’s the Vogons at last.


11 posted on 07/03/2025 11:07:13 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, The Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
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To: BenLurkin

It might have been floating through interstellar space for the age of the universe. Likely it has never come as close to a star as it will get the sun. If it’s mostly made out of something like frozen nitrogen, a lot of it will vaporize. That might be quite a show.


12 posted on 07/03/2025 11:07:54 AM PDT by Telepathic Intruder
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To: BenLurkin

Zathras knows what it is but Zathras not telling.


13 posted on 07/03/2025 11:15:20 AM PDT by Zathras
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To: BenLurkin

Lucifer’s Hammer?


14 posted on 07/03/2025 11:18:04 AM PDT by bankwalker (Feminists, like all Marxists, are ungrateful parasites.)
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To: BenLurkin

Other solar systems taking pot shots at Erft.


15 posted on 07/03/2025 11:19:37 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Bugs?


16 posted on 07/03/2025 11:33:02 AM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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To: BenLurkin
"This is like our chance to randomly sample what's going on in the rest of the galaxy," astrophysicist Chris Lintott

Like, wow, that's, like, so bitchin', like, oh my GAWD that is, like, totally fresh!

17 posted on 07/03/2025 11:34:30 AM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)
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To: Zathras
Zathras knows what it is but Zathras not telling.

Zathras speaks of himself in the third person. Lazamataz hates people who refer to themselves in the third person.

18 posted on 07/03/2025 11:35:36 AM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)
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To: Deaf Smith

It could be a cosmic mosquito.


19 posted on 07/03/2025 11:38:15 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: bankwalker

What if it turns out it is made up of old 1970’s soda-can pop tops?


20 posted on 07/03/2025 11:38:58 AM PDT by Lazamataz (I'm so on fire that I feel the need to stop, drop, and roll!)
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