3I/ATLAS

[Hriston]

Is anyone else following this?

This object passed Mars two days ago at a distance of about 29 million km, yet, to my knowledge, the space agencies that have orbiters around Mars have not published new measurements or images from that event. The US government shutdown may or may not have played a role in NASA's lack of forthcoming data, but ESA's Mars Express should have collected images and spectroscopic data.

It'll be interesting to see what's revealed about the true nature of this object as further research is made public.

 

[Umbran]

Is anyone else following this?

Vaguely.

It'll be interesting to see what's revealed about the true nature of this object as further research is made public.

"True nature"? That's a weird turn of phrase in this context.

It is a comet-like object from outside the solar system. While we will hopefully find some interesting stuff about its detailed composition, its nature as a comet-like object from outside the solar system is unlikely to be revised.

 

[Ryujin]

Yes, the shutdown is affecting release of new images.

3I/ATLAS is Captured in New Images as Mysterious Object Cruises Past Mars—What Does the Latest Data Reveal?

3I/ATLAS is making its closest approach to Mars today, which could offer a chance to capture the clearest images yet of the unusual comet.

thedebrief.org

 

[Hriston]

Vaguely.



"True nature"? That's a weird turn of phrase in this context.

It is a comet-like object from outside the solar system. While we will hopefully find some interesting stuff about its detailed composition, its nature as a comet-like object from outside the solar system is unlikely to be revised.

Yes, the expected outcome is the current scientific consensus that it's a comet will be confirmed by further observation, but the alternatives are also intriguing. That you prefer to use the phrase "comet-like object" instead of simply calling it a comet would imply that it's "true nature" is far from settled. Inventing a "comet-like" category does little to address the anomalies the object exhibits.

 

[sevenbastard]

So which one do we think it really is?

 

[Morrus]

That you prefer to use the phrase "comet-like object" instead of simply calling it a comet would imply that it's "true nature" is far from settled. Inventing a "comet-like" category does little to address the anomalies the object exhibits.

He didn’t invent the term “comet-like object”. While I don’t personally know its origin, a quick google search shows the term being used in NASA releases going back years. It appears to be a perfectly commonplace term.

 

[Umbran]

Yes, the expected outcome is the current scientific consensus that it's a comet will be confirmed by further observation, but the alternatives are also intriguing. That you prefer to use the phrase "comet-like object" instead of simply calling it a comet would imply that it's "true nature" is far from settled. Inventing a "comet-like" category does little to address the anomalies the object exhibits.

I think you are packing into "nature" what I would put into "detailed composition".

Comets, as we typically think of them, come out of our Oort cloud. There's variation, but also a lot of similarity, given that common origin. This thing doesn't come out of our Oort cloud, so its detailed composition may be different. However, that it is a basically a big pile of rocks, dust, and frozen gases remains.

I have issues with questioning its "true nature" in this age of wacky conspiracy theories with claims it is a probe from an alien civilization or some such nonsense. Its "nature" is "a pile of rocks, dust, and frozen gases". There's scientific interest there, buy no deep mysteries from a human standpoint.

 

[SkidAce]

So which one do we think it really is?

View attachment 418890

Tyrant Ship

 

[Hriston]

He didn’t invent the term “comet-like object”. While I don’t personally know its origin, a quick google search shows the term being used in NASA releases going back years. It appears to be a perfectly commonplace term.

That the term has been used isn't in question. It's that it doesn't seem to have a workable definition as a category other than "things which resemble comets", so doesn't shed much light on the nature of this particular object.

 

[Ryujin]

Tyrant Ship

The 'object', as it eclipses Earth.