Explanation: It came from outer space. An object from outside our Solar System is now passing through at high speed. Classified as a comet because of its gaseous coma, 3I/ATLAS is only the third identified macroscopic object as being so alien. The comet's trajectory is shown in white on the featured map, where the orbits of Jupiter, Mars, and Earth are shown in gold, red, and blue.
@#2 ... Wonder why "they" are so interested in Mars. ...
Maybe mineral mining?
Curiosity Cracked Open a Rock on Mars And Discovered a Huge Surprise
www.sciencealert.com
... A rock on Mars spilled a surprising yellow treasure after Curiosity accidentally cracked through its unremarkable exterior.
When the rover rolled its 899-kilogram (1,982-pound) body over the fragile lump of mineral in May last year the deposit broke open, revealing yellow crystals of elemental sulfur: brimstone.
Although sulfates are fairly common on Mars, this represents the first time sulfur has been found on the red planet in its pure elemental form. ...
Maybe rare-Earth minerals (or, more correctly, rare-Mars minerals?) are present on Mars?
@#4 ... Why is the object so.. reflective at such a distance? How much of it's composition is known? ...
From a link in the article ...
ESA tracks rare interstellar comet
www.esa.int
... Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of a rare celestial visitor: a comet from beyond our Solar System. ...
ESA astronomers are using telescopes in Hawaii, Chile, and Australia to monitor the comet's progress. Some of these telescopes are owned by ESA, others are provided as part of longstanding partnerships. ...
Scientists will now be interested in learning more about this interstellar visitor's composition and behaviour.
3I/ATLAS is an active comet. If it heats up sufficiently as it nears our star, it could begin to sublimate " a process in which frozen gases transform directly into vapour, carrying dust and ice particles into space to form a glowing coma and tail. ...
What makes interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS so extraordinary is their absolutely foreign nature. While every planet, moon, asteroid, comet and lifeform that formed in our Solar System shares a common origin, a common heritage, interstellar visitors are true outsiders. They are remnants of other planetary systems, carrying with them clues about the formation of worlds far beyond our own.
It may be thousands of years until humans visit a planet in another solar system and interstellar comets offer the tantalising opportunity for us to touch something truly otherworldly.
These icy wanderers offer a rare, tangible connection to the broader galaxy " to materials formed in environments entirely unlike our own. To visit one would be to connect humankind with the Universe on a far greater scale. ...
So, yeah, basically a shrug at this point.
But, that is what exploration is about.
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