The latest images from the Gemini North telescope show that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has developed a bright green color and is becoming more visible as it moves through the solar system, according to a report by Live Science.
The comet will make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, coming within about 170 million miles (270 million kilometers) of the planet.
Telescopes around the world are observing the comet to help astronomers track its exact path and improve predictions about similar objects in the future. Live Science reported that the United Nations’ International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) has already completed nearly half of its observation campaign of 3I/ATLAS. The network plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed scientific journal next year.
James Bauer, a research professor at the University of Maryland and principal investigator at IAWN’s Small Bodies Node, told Live Science that the network includes more than 80 observatories and citizen scientists worldwide. They are studying near-Earth objects such as comets and asteroids.
Bauer said NASA coordinates IAWN and its observation campaigns. He added that 3I/ATLAS is the first interstellar object to be tracked since the campaign began in 2017.
He explained that the main goal of these campaigns is to improve techniques for measuring the positions of asteroids and comets, a process known as astrometry. Scientists will test a new tracking method on 3I/ATLAS, which could help plan future spacecraft missions to similar comets.
