ESA's JUICE Mission Reveals Insights on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
The European Space Agency's JUICE mission has provided significant data on comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing it loses 2,000 kg of water vapor per second. This insight is crucial for understanding the comet's behavior and potential implications for planetary defense.
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The JUICE mission has uncovered that comet 3I/ATLAS is losing approximately 2,000 kilograms of water vapor every second, which equates to the volume of 70 Olympic swimming pools per day. This data was collected shortly after the comet's perihelion, approximately 210 million kilometers from the Sun.
The emissions primarily originated from the Sun-facing side of the comet, contributing to the formation of an anti-tail. Ultraviolet observations indicated that the gas and dust from the comet extended for about 5 million kilometers.
Although it is not record-breaking, this information enhances understanding of comets from beyond the Solar System. Furthermore, the observations have refined the uncertainties in the comet's orbit, demonstrating the utility of deep-space missions for planetary defense. JUICE is expected to reach Jupiter in 2031.
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