NASA is preparing to release high-resolution images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which is the third rare object to enter the Solar System from interstellar space.
NASA will host an event to drop a plethora of 3I/ATLAS imagery collected by the ground-based telescopes on Wednesday, November 19.
However, the space agency is demurring about the instruments involved, but Hubble, JWST, and Mars orbiters may have examined it from space.
On the contrary, observatories such as the ATLAS survey telescope and Gemini observatory may have captured the recent picture from the ground.
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS burst onto the scene in July, and we are now at the crucial point of its closest approach to the Sun.
Meanwhile, the mystery comet disappeared behind the Sun from Earth’s viewpoint on October 21 and reached its closest approach to the Sun on October 29, re-emerging in early November.
The 3I/ATLAS was present during perihelion, and we were unable to analyze such activity from Earth.
Observations have been made that the comet was at its closest position to Mars, and instruments orbiting the red planet will surely capture this moment.
In this connection, NASA has stated, “Assets within NASA's science missions give the United States the unique capability to observe 3I/ATLAS almost the entire time it passes through our celestial neighbourhood with scientific instruments from distinct directions.”
The upcoming release of high-resolution imagery will provide crucial data to solve one of the biggest mysteries and will provide an opportunity for sky gazers to make ground-based observations.
Until then we have to wait to see when 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, when it will be about 270 million kilometers away.
