A mysterious comet from outside our solar system is hurtling towards the sun at approximately 61 kilometres per second. The object, designated 3I/Atlas, was first detected in July and is only the third known interstellar object to be observed, following 'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
Excitement among scientists has grown since the Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of the interstellar interloper, providing a rare opportunity to analyse its size and chemical composition. Dr Rebecca Allen, co-director of Swinburne's Space Technology and Industry Institute, said: 'We've never had an object like this to study before.'
The comet is currently heading towards the inner solar system, and stargazers may be able to see it as it approaches. Researchers are keen to study 3I/Atlas to learn more about the composition of objects from other star systems and what they can reveal about the formation of planetary systems beyond our own.
