By Melike Pala
BRUSSELS (AA) - The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is drawing global scientific attention as it may reveal clues about the formation of the solar system and the building blocks of life.
The comet was discovered on July 1 by NASA's ATLAS program in Chile, and later observed by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Danish broadcaster DR reported.
It is the third interstellar object ever detected, after Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
According to Christina Toldbo, astrophysicist and head of the Round Tower Observatory, 3I/ATLAS is unusual due to its size, speed, and composition.
"It is much faster and larger than the other two objects that have passed by. But we only have those two to compare with," she explained.
The comet travels at more than 200,000 kilometers per hour (124,274 miles per hour). Its high speed makes it impossible for a spacecraft to reach it before it leaves the solar system. However, the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to observe it using its Juice spacecraft, which is en route to Jupiter.
The comet will be closest to the sun in November, when its ice and gas are expected to become more active, forming a brighter tail.
The discovery has prompted speculation about extraterrestrial life. Harvard professor Avi Loeb suggested 3I/ATLAS could be "alien technology" disguised as a comet, but Toldbo said such claims are unlikely.
"Just because there is something we can't explain doesn't mean it has to be aliens. It's probably more about the fact that we haven't seen very many interstellar comets before," Toldbo said.
Researchers hope the interstellar comet could provide clues about the formation of solar systems and the building blocks of life.
"This is message in a bottle from another solar system. We don't know which one, but it's our only and best chance to understand something that comes from a place that originated long before our own solar system," Toldbo added.