Scientists have observed a new object coming to the Solar System from outer space. The comet named 3I/ATLAS is only the third celestial body ever recorded to come from another star system and approach Earth this closely.
This exciting discovery was made by the NASA-supported ATLAS telescope in Chile. The comet's speed and its straight orbit clearly show that it does not belong to the Solar System. Scientists believe the object originated from the center of the Milky Way.
The comet is moving at a speed of 60 kilometers per second — approximately 214,000 kilometers per hour. This speed is impossible for local objects bound by the Sun's gravity. According to Dr. Paul Chodas from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, this indicates that 3I/ATLAS has been traveling through space for millions of years and entered the Solar System by chance.
Astronomers are currently closely monitoring the movements of this object with dozens of telescopes. The comet was first spotted in the sky on June 14. It is currently about 670 million kilometers from Earth and 416 million kilometers from the Sun.
