Experts say such changes give vital clues about what interstellar objects are made of. “Each color shift is a message from the comet,” said space researcher Dr. Alan Gupta. “It tells us how alien materials respond to our Sun’s radiation.”
What Scientists Are Learning
The discovery of 31/Atlas marks only the third known interstellar object ever detected — following ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Studying it could help scientists understand the chemical makeup and behavior of materials that formed around other stars.
Researchers across Hawaii, Chile, Japan, and the Canary Islands are tracking its movement and brightness to determine whether 31/Atlas is more like a comet, an asteroid, or something else entirely. Because the Sun’s gravity does not bind the object, it will soon exit our solar system, never to return.
For More Details
Comet 3I/ATLAS Is Leaving the Solar System: How To See It Before It’s Gone – Newsweek
