A mysterious traveler has been spotted heading towards our solar system. This object, now named 3I/ATLAS, is the third confirmed interstellar visitor. It's currently between the asteroid belt and Jupiter, moving at an incredible speed of about 130, 000 miles per hour.

The object's origin is quite intriguing. It appears to have come from the center of our galaxy, but its exact starting point remains unknown. This makes 3I/ATLAS a rare and exciting discovery for astronomers.

Initially thought to be an asteroid, further observations revealed it to be a comet. This is only the second known "rogue" comet, adding to its uniqueness. The discovery was a team effort, with telescopes worldwide contributing data.

The size of 3I/ATLAS is still uncertain. If it were an asteroid, it would be about 12 miles wide. However, as a comet, its true size is harder to determine due to the surrounding coma and tail.

The good news is that astronomers will have plenty of time to study this cosmic visitor. Unlike previous interstellar objects that vanished quickly, 3I/ATLAS will be visible for a long time. It's expected to reach its closest point to the Sun around October 30, providing ample opportunity for observation.

A Cosmic Visitor from Afar

Astronomers have spotted something interesting beyond Neptune. It could be the mysterious Planet Nine, but not everyone is sure. The search for this potential ninth planet is a big deal. If it exists, it would be a giant world far from our sun. But finding it is tough. It's so far away that it's hard to see. Plus, some scientists aren't even convinced it's there.

The latest find comes from old satellite data. Researchers saw a dot moving in a way that suggested a large, distant planet. They were excited about this discovery. But not everyone is convinced. Mike Brown, who first proposed the idea of Planet Nine, thinks the dot doesn't match what they expect from Planet Nine. He believes the dot is tilted too much and orbits in the wrong direction.

The idea of Planet Nine started because of strange orbits of some objects in the Kuiper Belt. This is a region far out in our solar system. Some scientists think these strange orbits are caused by an undiscovered planet. But others aren't so sure. They want more evidence.

The team behind the new find looked at data from two old satellites. They were searching for slow-moving objects, like what Planet Nine would be. After ruling out known objects, they found one good candidate. It's a dot that looks the same in two sets of images. But more observations are needed to confirm it's a planet.

Brown has a different idea. He thinks if the dot is a planet, it could be a different one. This new planet might even disprove the Planet Nine hypothesis. The search for Planet Nine is still ongoing. By 2025, scientists hope to have more answers. But for now, the existence of Planet Nine remains a mystery.

ASTRONOMY DISCOVERY

A Cosmic Visitor from Afar

Is There Really A Planet Nine?

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