NASA identified an interstellar object moving through the solar system on July 1st. Located over 670 million kilometers away, The sky body identified is a comet.
Named 3i/atlas, NASA was able to observe the star through the Atlas Research Telescope (Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System), located in Chile, more precisely in Hurtado River.
However, according to NASA he was noticed by three other Atlas telescopes around the world and also by the Zwicky transient installation at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego, California, from June 14.
Does comet 3i/atlas pose a danger to the earth?
No, the interstellar comet 3i/atlas does not represent Earth danger. Despite intriguing scientists, after studies it was found that he will maintain a distance of at least 240 million kilometers from the planet, according to NASA’s official website.
In addition, it supports a hyperbolic trajectory that approaches the sun – that is, the celestial body is not gravitational linked to the solar system.
Although visible now, it will only remain like this until September, as its approach to the star closest to Earth (Sol) happens shortly thereafter – more precisely on October 30, in the orbit of Mars.
In the meantime, the researchers are studying which compounds the star is formed. This is just the third “strange object” already detected from another star system.
