O que é o objeto astronômico 3I/ATLAS?

Em julho, o projeto ATLAS descobriu o 3I/ATLAS: um objeto interestelar com até 5 km de diâmetro, o maior já registrado.

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A descoberta gerou especulações. Seria um cometa diferentão ou até mesmo uma nave alienígena disfarçada?

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O 3I/ATLAS é um objeto interestelar, ou seja, vem de fora do nosso Sistema Solar. É o terceiro do tipo já detectado, após 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) e 2I/Borisov (2019).

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Ele atravessa o Sistema Solar a mais de 210 mil km/h. Estima-se que tenha 7,8 bilhões de anos, mais velho que a Terra.

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Telescópios como o Hubble e o James Webb mostraram que ele possui uma coma (nuvem) de poeira e gás e o início de cauda (rastro de material ejetado).

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Essas características reforçam sua identidade: o 3I/ATLAS é de fato um cometa, não uma nave alienígena.

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Sua composição, no entanto, chama atenção: apresenta a maior proporção de CO₂ para água já registrada em um cometa.

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Ele não representa risco à Terra. Passará pelo periélio, ponto mais próximo do Sol, em 29 de outubro.

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O 3I/ATLAS usará o Sol como estilingue cósmico, ganhando velocidade para seguir viagem pela galáxia.

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