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Hubble Spots Rare Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS in Eruption
Hubble's sharp images reveal 3I/ATLAS shows active cryovolcanism and a carbon-rich composition with a nucleus up to 3.5 miles wide, aiding understanding of interstellar objects.
- On Nov. 24, a preprint on arXiv reported detailed gas and dust jets on comet 3I/ATLAS, observed with the Joan Oró Telescope at the Montsec Observatory, indicating signs of cryovolcanism.
- During its Oct. 29 perihelion, 3I/ATLAS brightened after intense sublimation near about 235,000,000 miles from the Sun as solid carbon dioxide sublimation enabled oxidizing liquids to react with metallic grains.
- Spectroscopy compared 3I/ATLAS to Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites, while observers recorded an incoming velocity about 137,000 miles per hour and jet spiral structures observed from Spain.
- Scientists are racing to study 3I/ATLAS before its departure next year as it nears its closest point to Earth later this month with size estimates between 1,400 feet and 3.5 miles.
- The findings position 3I/ATLAS as TNO-like, suggesting it resembles icy trans-Neptunian objects and urging missions like ESA's Comet Interceptor to sample interstellar visitors and their records.
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Tail toward the Sun, unusual pulses, strange accelerations: 3I/ATLAS has confused scientists and scared politicians.
Comet 3I/Atlas is a guest from a strange solar system. In December the Brocken flies by close to the Earth.
Hubble just snapped the clearest-ever picture of a rare interstellar comet
Hubble has taken the clearest image to date of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which is racing through our solar system at 130,000 miles per hour. Astronomers are using Hubble and other telescopes to better understand its icy nucleus and chemical composition.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources50
Leaning Left8Leaning Right7Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution38% Center
Bias Distribution
- 38% of the sources are Center
38% Center
L 33%
C 38%
R 29%
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