In Rio Hurtado, Chile, 3I/ATLAS was first observed in the night sky by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey telescope.
On July 1, it was captured hurtling through space at a staggering speed of 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h). Within 24 hours, 3I/ATLAS was confirmed to be an interstellar object.
Astronomers determined the space object was on a hyperbolic orbital path, meaning it is not gravitationally bound to the sun.
A team of scientists from Auburn University recently pointed NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory towards the interstellar object and made a remarkable discovery. The team is the first to detect hydroxyl (OH) gas, a chemical fingerprint of water, emanating from 3I/ATLAS.
To read more, click here.