NASA’s Perseverance Rover Captures Image of Interstellar Object

NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has successfully captured images of the interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS as it passed near the Red Planet. This event marks a significant moment in space exploration, as 3I/ATLAS is only the third known object from beyond our solar system to be identified. The comet-like object came within approximately 23.6 million miles of Mars, drawing the attention of scientists and astronomers alike.

The images were taken using the rover’s Right Navigation camera (Navcam) and released by NASA over the weekend. They depict a streak of light against the backdrop of space, indicating the object’s swift movement. Avi Loeb, a Harvard astronomer, has been advocating for closer observation of 3I/ATLAS and shared his analysis of the images in a recent blog post.

Loeb conducted preliminary calculations suggesting that the streak in the Navcam images measures around 31,000 miles long. He clarified, however, that this does not indicate the actual size of the object. Instead, the streak’s length is attributed to the camera’s “long integration time,” which causes the object to appear smeared across the images.

“In conclusion, the stripe in the Navcam image must have resulted from stacking hundreds of Navcam images over a total time interval of about ten minutes,” Loeb explained. “3I/ATLAS would have looked like a circular spot for an individual snapshot, which has a maximum exposure time of 3.28 seconds for Navcam.”

Moreover, Loeb suggested that if the images depict a single snapshot with exposure times under 3.28 seconds, the brightness and angular length observed might not correspond to 3I/ATLAS. He posited the possibility that the source could be closer to the rover and potentially smaller.

While it remains unconfirmed if the captured images indeed showcase 3I/ATLAS, the scientific community eagerly awaits further clarification. According to Loeb, the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter also took images of 3I/ATLAS on October 3, 2023. These images have yet to be released but could provide crucial data regarding the object’s size and composition.

Loeb previously estimated that 3I/ATLAS could be massive, weighing around 33 billion tons and measuring approximately 3.1 miles across. This would make it significantly larger than the two previous interstellar objects observed.

“The brightest pixel in the HiRISE image will provide the best constraint yet on the area of 3I/ATLAS,” Loeb remarked, expressing hope that the HiRISE team will release the images soon.

As interest in 3I/ATLAS continues to grow, researchers are keen to explore the implications of this interstellar visitor. Its trajectory and characteristics could enhance our understanding of objects traveling through our solar system and the broader universe.