The comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered on July 1, 2025 by the ATLAS system in Chile, has captured the attention of astronomers and space enthusiasts. Known for being the third interstellar object recorded, along with 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS stands out not only for its intense cometary activity — indicative of a high ice content —, but also for its speed, which exceeds 200,000 km/h. This comet offers an invaluable opportunity to study the evolution of objects from other stellar systems, which, according to experts, opens a window into the universe's past.
A group of researchers led by Xabier Pérez Couto from the University of La Coruña has reconstructed the orbital path of the comet, which extends over the last 10 million years. Using data from the European Space Agency's Gaia mission, the team analyzed the trajectories of more than 13 million stars, identifying 93 possible interactions, of which 62 are considered high confidence. Despite these interactions, no star managed to significantly alter the comet's trajectory. With an age close to ten billion years, 3I/ATLAS presents itself as a cosmic time capsule, providing vital information about the earliest planetary systems in the universe.
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