Space alien dangerously approached Earth. Astronomers answered: what should we expect next?

According to information provided by specialists from the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the Space Research Institute (IKI RAS) and the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics (ISTP SB RAS), this event occurred at approximately 07:16 Moscow time.

At the moment of closest approach, the distance between 3I/ATLAS and Earth was about 269.9 million kilometers. Experts emphasize that while this is a vast distance on a human scale, in terms of interstellar space it is relatively small. The object poses no threat to our planet.

The next important stage in the journey of 3I/ATLAS will be its passage near Jupiter. According to preliminary calculations, on March 16 the object will approach the gas giant at a distance of about 53 million kilometers. If its trajectory remains unchanged, it will pass beyond Jupiter’s orbit in the second half of next year and become unobservable from Earth. It is worth noting that 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object ever registered by astronomers.

Earlier, ABN24 reported that an astrophysicist had discovered an unusual anomaly in a mysterious celestial body. According to the scientist, the registered nonstandard geometry of its radiation flow may indicate an extremely rare coincidence of the object’s orientation relative to the Sun. Experts note that such an alignment is very uncommon.