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Title: A New 'Interstellar Visitor' Has Entered the Solar System

Link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/07/03/0...

Astronomers have detected a mysterious "interstellar object," dubbed A11pl3Z,
speeding through the solar system at 152,000 mph. If confirmed, it would be
just the third known interstellar visitor, following 'Oumuamua and Comet
Borisov. The visiting space object will pass near Mars and the Sun later this
year before leaving the solar system forever. Live Science reports: The newly
discovered object, currently dubbed A11pl3Z, was first spotted in data
collected between June 25 and June 29 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last
Alert System (ATLAS), which automatically scans the night sky using
telescopes in Hawaii and South Africa. The mystery object was confirmed by
both NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies and the International
Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center on Tuesday (July 1), according to
EarthSky.org. A11pl3Z is most likely a large asteroid, or maybe a comet,
potentially spanning up to 12 miles (20 kilometers). It is traveling toward
the inner solar system at around 152,000 mph (245,000 km/h) and is
approaching us from the part of the night sky where the bar of the Milky Way
is located. Based on A11pl3Z's speed and trajectory, experts think it
originated from beyond the sun's gravitational influence and has enough
momentum to shoot straight through our cosmic neighborhood without slowing
down. However, more observations are needed to tell for sure.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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