A NASA spacecraft designed to search for signs of extraterrestrial life has aimed its lens at comet 3I/ATLAS. But it wasn’t for the reason you might think. The spaceship just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
Racing through the solar system at an estimated speed of 153,000 miles per hour (246,000 km), the fascinating interstellar comet will reach its closest point to Earth tonight (December 18-19). At its closest approach, 3I/ATLAS will plummet to within about 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) of Earth.
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Meanwhile, the latest images from NASA (taken by the European Clipper spacecraft) shorten the distance to 3I/ATLAS by a third. The new images, taken on November 6 from a distance of about 102 million miles (164 million km), are the result of seven hours of observations by the plane’s European Ultraviolet Spectrometer (Europe UVS) instrument.
see the invisible
Human eyes cannot see ultraviolet light. But by splitting the observations into constituent wavelengths and stacking them, NASA scientists provide a hint at what 3I/ATLAS might look like beyond the visible spectrum. (See also James Webb Telescope Infrared Observations and XMM-Newton X-ray Views.)
Clipper happened to be in the perfect spot to observe 3I/ATLAS as both objects zoomed towards Jupiter. The nimble interstellar comet will make its closest approach to the gas giant in March 2026, but Clipper is not expected to arrive there until April 2030.
Once Clipper reaches the vicinity of Jupiter, it will begin its mission to search for signs of extraterrestrial life. The spacecraft’s UV instruments will analyze the surface and atmosphere of Europa, one of Jupiter’s giant icy moons, looking for geysers that provide chemical clues to the moon’s interior. NASA models suggest that Europa has an ocean of liquid water beneath its crust that could harbor extraterrestrial life.
evolving mystery
But in this case, the Clippers aren’t looking for aliens. (And there is no evidence that 3I/ATLAS is anything other than a natural comet.)
Clipper’s observations of 3I/ATLAS, which use the same technology that will ultimately uncover the secrets of Jupiter’s moons, will be key to analyzing the elements that eject from comets and form a makeshift atmosphere, or coma, around them.
Spectroscopic data from Clipper’s new UV images are not yet available, but NASA plans to share the results as soon as they are available. Previous observations have shown that 3I/ATLAS is rich in carbon dioxide ice and emit diatomic carbon (C2) gas, which gives it the greenish glow seen in recent optical light images.
Until we have more information, please enjoy this rare close-up view of our solar system’s most famous international visitor.
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