NASA's Europa Clipper to sample interstellar comet's tail
Later this month, NASA's Europa Clipper could fly through the ion tail of comet 3I/ATLAS—a rare visitor from outside our solar system—between October 30 and November 6, 2024.
Scientists used a model called Tailcatcher to predict this cosmic meetup, making it a unique chance to sample material from beyond our solar neighborhood.
Comet's closest approach to the sun
As the comet swings closest to the sun on October 29, 2024, solar wind will strip charged particles from its atmosphere, forming an ion tail.
While ESA's Hera spacecraft will cross the tail first, only Europa Clipper has instruments that can actually detect and study these ions.
If mission controllers switch on its sensors at just the right time, we could get our first direct look at what interstellar comets are made of—a pretty exciting peek into another part of our galaxy.