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3I/ATLAS Does Not Have A Large Nucleus... 3I/ATLAS Does Not Have A Large Nucleus | AstroWright https://share.google/4Ylcq91tCVkqtoTsA

Scientists so excited about 3I/Atlas?. An object from outside our solar system is hurtling towards sun @61km (38 miles) a second. First detected in July, visitor from outer space – known as 3I/Atlas – a 3rd known interstellar object to be observed, after ‘Oumuamua in 2017 & 2I/Borisov in 2019. Excitement has it
grow since Hubble space telescope captured those image of the interstellar interloper, offering scientists a rare opportunity to analyse its size and chemical makeup. “We’ve never had an object like this to study before,” says Dr Rebecca Allen, co-director Swinburne’s Space Technology & Industry Institute.
What exactly is 3I/Atlas?.
“Won’t know exactly where it came from, but definitely came from outside solar system,” Dr Laura Driessen, a radio astronomer at University of Sydney said.
Name “i” for interstellar, “3” as 3rd such object detected, Atlas by network of telescopes identified it, called Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System. Scientists say 3I/Atlas is probably a comet, remain speculation like same over ‘Oumuamua, astronomers checked for radio signals in case it was an alien craft. It wasn’t...

“Driessen says be honest, is cool enough.” Why scientists excited about the interstellar object?. In the Hubble image, 3I/Atlas looks a bit like a “fuzzy snowball”, Allen says. hazy appearance is due to “coma”, is formed as comet’s surface is heated by sun, releasing dust & gas, & there are signs of a comet tail.
A chemical signatures – of elements and molecules from outside our solar system – will become more visible the closer it gets to sun, Allen says. “We can use a tool called spectroscopy can use light to actually understand exactly what 
material is. Does comet represent a solar system that had very similar conditions to our own, or is it something completely different?” Researchers have already used Hubble image to estimate diameter of 3I/Atlas to be less than 5.6km, and potentially as small as 320 metres.
Where is 3I/Atlas heading?.
The space object is travelling at more than 200,000km/h, Allen says.

“It’s going to cruise through inner solar system – in between Mars / Earth’s orbit & “This one It’s travelling much too fast, & fly out the other side of the solar system.” Its interstellar origins make 3I/Atlas different from other comets that orbit within the solar system, such as Halley’s comet, says Con Stoitsis, the comet & meteor director at Astronomical Society of Victoria. Its expected to make closest approach sun between October  December – coming within about 210m kilometres – then continue its journey into space. According to Nasa, closest 3I/Atlas will come to Earth is about 270m kilometres. “We’re not really sure where it’s going to end up until it comes around from the other side of the sun, and starts heading out to the outer solar system again,” Stoitsis says.

Can we see the comet?.
Faint at this moment, comet is expected to brighten as approaches sun, bringing it “within reach of most large amateur telescopes”, Stoitsis says. Even 3I/Atlas will probably appear like a smudge. “We get bright-ish comets, 3-4 times a year, visible w/small telescopes & binoculars. This is definitely not one of those,” he says. “Unless you’ve got a decent-sized telescope, you won’t see it.”