[ESO] Astronomers have used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) to study the composition of 3I/ATLAS, the brightest interstellar object ever seen, in detail.
Comets and Asteroids
![[TOP] Example observations of (2060) Chiron for survey/telescopes (left) ATLAS, (middle) ZTF, and (right) LCO/LOOK. [BOTTOM] Example observations of 103P/Hartley 2 for survey/telescopes (left) ATLAS, (middle) ZTF, and (right) LCO/LOOK. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Multi-year.png?resize=1200%2C720&ssl=1)
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Multi-year Ground-Based Survey Photometry of Active Comet 103P/Hartley 2 and Centaur (2060) Chiron: A Tale of Two Comets in the Pre-LSST Era
[astro-ph.EP] Comets and Centaurs trace the evolution of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) into the inner solar system.
Posted inSETI & Technosignatures
Narrowband Radio Technosignature Search Toward 3I/ATLAS with FAST
[astro-ph.IM] 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object passing through the Solar System.
Posted inComets and Asteroids
The Dust Mineralogy of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS from JWST/MIRI Observations
[astro-ph.EP] We present the first spectroscopic mineralogical analysis of the dust coma of an interstellar object (ISO) from JWST mid-infrared spectroscopy of 3I/ATLAS (3I).
Posted inImpact events
Asteroid Assault Made Ancient Earth Too Hot And Chaotic For Continents To Form
[Curtin University] New research led by Curtin University and QUT (Queensland University of Technology) has revealed repeated asteroid impacts may have been the dominant force shaping the early Earth, delivering […]
Posted inUncategorized
Long-Period Comets’ Orbits Reflect Close Passage by Star HD 7977
The Gaia mission has allowed researchers to understand the motions of stars like never before, even revealing possible interactions between our Solar System and nearby stars.
Posted inComets and Asteroids
Webb Finds Clues To The Ancient Origin Of Comet 3I/ATLAS
The third identified interstellar comet in human history has a surprising chemical makeup, raising questions as to how common, or unusual, conditions in our own Solar System may be.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Dust Colour, Phase Behaviour, And Monte Carlo Modelling Of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS From 4 au Pre- to 4 au Post-Perihelion
We report multi-band photometric imaging observations and Monte Carlo dust tail modelling of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS covering a wide range of heliocentric distances, from about 4 au pre-perihelion to […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Impact events, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release, Sample Return
Rare Meteorite Provides Evidence Of A Giant Early Planet
Four-and-a-half billion years ago, a massive world, possibly as big as the moon or even Mars, orbited our sun before crashing into another celestial body and shattering into rubble.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Missions & Hardware, Sample Return, Status Report
Quantifying Surface Heterogeneity Across Asteroid (101955) Bennu using Candidate Site Remote Sensing Data
The OSIRIS-REx mission acquired spatially resolved (2-10 m spot sizes) visible-near infrared (VNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) spectra across four candidate sampling sites on asteroid (101955) Bennu: Nightingale, Osprey, Sandpiper, […]