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Third interstellar object never observed:
An object from the outside of the solar system was spotted crossing it at full speed. Nevertheless, making it the third interstellar visitor ever detected by humanity, astronomers confirmed on Wednesday.
This object. Nevertheless, probably the largest ever observed, has been classified as comet by the Center des Planets Minor of the International Astronomical Union.
Its aspect “suggests that it is mainly ice rather than rock”. In addition, told AFP Jonathan McDowell, astronomer in the center of astrophysics of Harvard-Smithsonian.
He does not present a risk of collision with the earth. However, the head of the planetary defense of the European Space Agency (ESA), Richard Moissl told AFP. For example, “He will fly deep into the solar system, just passing inside the Mars orbit.”
Astronomers are still specifying their calculations, but third interstellar object never observed its speed seems to exceed 60 kilometers per second, or more than 200,000 km/h. It means that it is not linked to the orbit of the sun.
Its trajectory also “indicates that it is not in orbit around the sun. but comes from the interstellar space and will return there,” according to Richard Moissl.
Based in Hawaii (United States). the ATLAS ASTEROID SURVEILLS project funded by NASA, the American space agency, discovered the object on Tuesday, wrote American astronomer David RANKIN on the Bluesky social network.
Professional astronomers. amateurs from around the world then searched in the data recorded by telescopes, reconstructing its trajectory since June 14.
The size of the object is currently estimated at 10 to 20 km in diameter. But it could be smaller if it is well made up of ice, which more reflects light.
– third interstellar object never observed observable until next year –
“He will shine more. more and approach the sun until the end of October, and will still be observable (by telescope) until next year,” said Richard Moissl.
It is the third object never observed from the interstellar space.
The first, Oumuamua, had been detected in 2017. It was so strange that at least a renowned scientist had finally convinced himself that it was an extraterrestrial. vessel – his theory has since been denied by research.
The second interstellar racing car, 2i/Borisov, was detected in 2019.
This new visitor appears to “move much faster than the first two extra-solar objects that had been discovered. ” Mark Norris, astronomer at the British University of Central Lancashire, told AFP.
The object is currently almost at the same distance from the earth as Jupiter, he added.
According to modeling. there are up to 10,000 interstellar objects circulating at any time in the solar system, most of which would be smaller than the freshly discovered object, the scientist underlined.
If these models are correct, the new VERA C. Rubin observatory, located in Chile, could soon discover small interstellar travelers every month, he said.
It is impossible to send a space mission to intercept the new object, said Richard Moissl. But such an event nevertheless offers scientists a rare opportunity to study bodies from outside the solar system.
For example. if observations make it possible to detect the precursors of life on such an object, such as amino acids, this will give researchers “much more confidence in the fact that the conditions for the appearance of life exist in other stellar systems”, illustrates Mark Norris.
Posted on July 3 at 4:10 a.m., AFP
Third interstellar object never observed
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