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If 3I/ATLAS remains intact and moves away from the sun on its own, experts say it could suggest something extraordinary The mysterious interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passing through our solar system has reached the Sun and has captured the attention of astronomers and sky-watchers. As the massive object dubbed 3I/ATLAS makes its closest approach to our sun on Wednesday, many scientists believe it will begin to break up like a normal comet does under extreme heat, reports The Daily Mail. Discovered in July 2025, this celestial object, originating from beyond our solar system, the visitor poses no threat to Earth.On Wednesday, the object will reach its perihelion, coming within about 126 million miles of the sun and this point marks the halfway stage of its passage through the solar system. Perihelion is the point in an object's orbit where it is closest to the sun. If 3I/ATLAS remains intact and moves away from the sun on its own, experts say it could suggest something extraordinary. Harvard physicist Avi Loeb called today's move towards the sun 'the acid test of 3I/ATLAS'.ALSO READ: Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to Sun this week. Is Earth is in danger? Check detailsCan you see comet 3I/ATLAS?According to a report in Space.Com, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has moved into solar conjunction, making it temporarily invisible from Earth since the end of September. During this phase, the object has passed behind the Sun, disappearing into its glare and moving out of sight from all Earth-based and orbiting telescopes.According to astronomers, 3I/ATLAS will not be visible again until late November or early December, when it is expected to reappear in Earth’s morning sky. This means that telescopes on Earth, those orbiting the planet, and even instruments located at the L2 Lagrange point — a stable position in space directly opposite the Sun from Earth — will miss the chance to observe the object at its closest approach to the Sun, known as perihelion."We cannot observe 3I/ATLAS from Earth at this opportune time, which raises the question of whether its trajectory was fine-tuned by extraterrestrial intelligence?" Loeb wrote in a blog post. The professor added that scientists will need months of observations to see how 3I/ATLAS reacted to reaching its perihelion with the sun.Live EventsALSO READ: Top US doctor says no diet needed to lose belly fat. These six simple life hacks will help you shrink your waistline3I/ATLAS a strange comet?Most studies on 3I/ATLAS have found that it's merely a strange comet from a completely foreign part of the galaxy. Researchers have noted that 3I/ATLAS has a tail of gas and dust, just like icy comets we see all the time.Astronomers have linked a comet’s unusual chemical makeup to its possible birthplace in a faraway part of the Milky Way galaxy. Its strange composition has prompted astronomers to study how such objects form and travel across interstellar space. Scientists will be looking for any odd behavior as it approaches the planet, including changes in the visitor's course and speed after leaving the sun. The comet has been observed releasing plumes of carbon dioxide gas, suggesting that it may have formed under different conditions than most comets in our solar system.On December 19, 3I/ATLAS is expected to reach it closest point to Earth, roughly 165million miles away, and Loeb has warned that this could be the point where an extraterrestrial craft launches probes to study our world.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News oninterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS3I/ATLASinterstellar cometobserving comet 3I/ATLASinterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reaching Suninterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS seen from Earthinterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS near Sun October 30interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS newsinterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS latest newswhere is interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News oninterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS3I/ATLASinterstellar cometobserving comet 3I/ATLASinterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reaching Suninterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS seen from Earthinterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS near Sun October 30interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS newsinterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS latest newswhere is interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Explore More Stories123
