Interstellar Objects

Interstellar Objects Latest News

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released new images of Comet 3I/Atlas, an interstellar object that astronomers have determined is billions of years old.

About Interstellar Objects

• Interstellar objects are celestial bodies that originate outside the solar system, and travel through it.
• These objects are not gravitationally bound to a star.
• They can come from other solar systems and be thrown into interstellar space (the area between the stars) due to collisions or be slingshotted by a planet’s or star’s gravity.
  • 1I/ʻOumuamua(2017), 2I/Borisov (2019) and Comet 3I/Atlas are the recently known interstellar objects.

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Characteristics of Interstellar Objects

• Origin: They originate from outside our solar system, often from other star systems or the interstellar medium.
• Hyperbolic Orbit: They basically move in an open-ended hyperbolic orbit, where there is a perihelion point but no aphelion.
• Speed: These objects move at such great speeds that the Sun’s gravitational pull is not able to slow them down enough during their outbound leg.

Significance of Interstellar Objects

• Insights into other star systems: Interstellar objects can provide clues about the formation and evolution of other star systems.
• Understanding planetary formation: They can help us understand how planets form and evolve in different environments.

Source: IE