NASA's Europa Clipper just spotted an interstellar comet
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft caught a surprise glimpse of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on November 6, 2024, using its ultraviolet spectrograph from over 100 million miles away.
The team gathered seven hours of data, giving scientists a rare chance to study a visitor from beyond our solar system.
What makes this comet special?
The Clipper's instruments picked up oxygen, hydrogen, and dust in the comet's coma (that fuzzy cloud around it), showing that 3I/ATLAS released more gas after swinging closest to the Sun.
The unique view even let scientists see both of the comet's tails from behind—helping them figure out their shape and structure.
Can you spot it from Earth?
You might!
Between December 18-19, 2024, the comet will be at its closest to us—about 168 million miles away—and moving super fast.
If you have a big amateur telescope and use a star-chart app, you could catch it as a faint greenish dot in the night sky.
Quick backstory
3I/ATLAS was discovered by ATLAS in July last year and will swing by Jupiter next March.
Meanwhile, Europa Clipper is set to arrive at Jupiter's neighborhood in April 2030 to explore Europa's icy secrets.