Astronomers Have Traced Our New Interstellar Comet's Origin, and It's a First
10 months ago
- #astronomy
- #Milky-Way
- #interstellar-objects
- Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to enter the Solar System.
- It originated from the Milky Way's thick disk, unlike the first two interstellar visitors.
- Discovered on 1 July 2025, it will pass inside Mars' orbit in October 2025.
- The comet is estimated to be between 7.6 and 14 billion years old, much older than the Solar System.
- Its velocity and trajectory suggest it is the first interstellar object from the Milky Way's thick disk.
- The research used the ��tautahi-Oxford model to trace its origin.
- 3I/ATLAS is unlikely to share origins with the first two interstellar objects ('Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov).
- Interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS provide insights into planetesimal formation across different galactic environments.