UPDATE: IT'S A COMET! Newly-discovered interstellar object A11pl3Z is showing signs of of an atmosphere and tail. That means it's a comet. Moreover, it has just received an official name from the Minor Planet Center: 3I/ATLAS a.k.a. C/2025 N1 (ATLAS). You can view its orbit and download ephemerides here.
A NEW INTERSTELLAR OBJECT: A new object is entering the Solar System from interstellar space. Provisionally named A11pl3Z, it is about 20 kilometers wide and currently travelling at a blistering 66 km/s. Early measurements of its orbit suggest an eccentricity of 6 which, if confirmed, would be strong evidence that it comes from another star.
This morning, a team of Italian astronomers led by Ernesto Guido photographed A11pl3Z using a remote-controlled telescope in Australia.
A11pl3Z was first photographed by NASA's ATLAS asteroid system on June 14th. Only now, though, are astronomers understanding its significance. A11pl3Z is only the third known interstellar object to pass through the Solar System, following mystery object 'Oumuamua in 2017 and comet Borisov in 2019. This makes A11pl3Z a high-priority target for astronomers.
The new visitor will spend months in range of backyard and professional telescopes. According to a preliminary orbit, A11pl3Z will pass between the orbits of Earth and Mars with a close approach to Mars in October 2025. After that, it will begin its journey back to the stars.
Soon, this object will receive an official (pronounceable!) name and online coordinates for amateur observing. Stay tuned for updates!
more images: from Filipp Romanov using a remote-controlled telescope in Rio Hurtado Valley, Chile
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THE GREAT UNWINDING: In June, the sun bristled with an unusual number of prominences. This one, captured by Michael Jaeger of Austria, shows an important way things explode on the sun. Witness, the Great Unwinding:
Prominences are clouds of hydrogen held above the surface of the sun by magnetic fields. Strange but true: Magnetic fields are a lot like rubber bands. When you twist them, the tension builds up, and when they suddenly unwind ... snap! The energy release can be significant.
The coiled tension in this prominence was created by plasma currents beneath the surface of the sun, which pulled and twisted its magnetic underpinnings. More energy than a million World War II atomic bombs was released when the structure unwound.
July is shaping up to be a good month for prominences, too. Enjoy the show.
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CELTIC LOVE KNOT MOONSTONE PENDANT: Nothing says "I love you" like a moonstone from the edge of space. On Jan. 27th, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus flew this one to the stratosphere 115,158 feet above Earth's surface:
You can have it for $179.95. The moonstone is wrapped in a hand-crafted sterling silver Celtic love knot and suspended from a matching sterling silver chain. It comes with a greeting card showing the jewelry in flight, and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
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