3I/ATLAS: The Interstellar Object Visible Again Exhibits Unusual Behavior
When the interstellar object named 3I/ATLAS started its approach toward the Sun, ground-based telescopes could no longer observe it due to intense solar glare. Scientists shifted their focus to space-based observatories such as SOHO and STEREO-A, which captured remarkable images of this rare event.
Tracking 3I/ATLAS with Space Observatories
The specialized instruments aboard these spacecraft allowed continuous monitoring of the comet’s behavior as it traveled through the solar system's most challenging regions.
Observation sequence of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS by different space instruments showed its unusual luminous behavior during its approach to the Sun.
Credit: arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2510
The combined data offer crucial insights into the comet's dynamic characteristics near the Sun, revealing strange patterns in luminosity that challenge current understanding.
Summary
The renewed visibility of 3I/ATLAS thanks to space observatories highlights unique and puzzling changes in its appearance, deepening knowledge of interstellar object behavior.
Author’s summary: The reappearance of 3I/ATLAS underlines its uncommon luminous changes near the Sun, advancing the study of interstellar comet behavior in our solar system.