3I/ATLAS, comet hurtling toward solar system, much bigger than previously thought
Astronomers report that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, heading toward the inner solar system, is much larger than previously thought, with a likely mass over 33 billion tons and a nucleus more than 3.1 miles wide. Observations from the Webb Space Telescope suggest it is mostly carbon dioxide with water ice in its core. First detected in July by NASA’s ATLAS system in Chile, the comet poses … Continue reading 3I/ATLAS, comet hurtling toward solar system, much bigger than previously thought
