NASA is preparing to release new images and videos of comet 3I/ATLAS as it travels through our solar system. The agency will present these visuals during a live event from the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland on November 19 (Wednesday), at 3 p.m. EST, which translates to 1:30 a.m. IST. The comet, which was first spotted on July 1 by the ATLAS observatory, is only the third known visitor from outside our solar system. NASA says the comet does not pose any danger to Earth and will remain far from our planet. Still, it offers a rare chance for scientists to watch how such an object moves and behaves. The live event will be shown on NASA+, the NASA app, the agency website, YouTube and Amazon Prime.
NASA’s spacecraft and ground observatories are in a good position to monitor the comet during most of its journey. Since these missions look at the comet from different angles, they can give scientists a fuller picture of its movement and activity. The new images are expected to offer fresh details that could help researchers understand how objects from outside our solar system change as they pass through our space neighbourhood.
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Scientists say comet 3I/ATLAS is unusual because it comes from far beyond our solar system. Only two such objects have been confirmed before. Since it entered our region of space, NASA missions have been watching it from different positions. In early October, the comet passed within about 19 million miles of Mars. Its closest distance to Earth will still be about 170 million miles, which means it is safely far away.
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The live event will feature several senior NASA leaders, including Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya and Nicky Fox, who oversees the agency’s science work. They will be joined by Shawn Domagal Goldman and Tom Statler, both of whom study space objects. The team will explain what the new images reveal and why this comet matters for research.
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NASA has invited media outlets to join the briefing online. The public can also take part in the interaction by posting questions on social media using the hashtag #AskNASA, which may be answered during the live event.