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We studied C/2025 D1 (Groeller), a long-period comet with an unprecedented perihelion distance of 14.1 au, using archival observations. The data reveals that it had been active at inbound heliocentric distances $r_{\rm H} \gtrsim 20$ au.…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2026-01-14 Man-To Hui , Robert Weryk , Marco Micheli , Sam Deen , David J. Tholen , Jianchun Shi , Xian Shi , Richard Wainscoat

Comet 2I/Borisov, the first unambiguous interstellar comet ever found, was discovered in August 2019 at $\sim3$ au from the Sun on its inbound leg. No pre-discovery detection beyond 3 au has yet been reported, mostly due to the comet's…

3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to pass through our Solar System. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) made dedicated observations of 3I/ATLAS between 15 -- 22 January 2026 (Sector 1751), capturing…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2026-02-16 Jorge Martinez-Palomera , Amy Tuson , TESS Science Support Center

The discovery of the first active interstellar object 2I/Borisov provides an unprecedented opportunity to study planetary formation processes in another planetary system. In particular, spectroscopic observations of 2I allow us to constrain…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2020-01-08 C. Opitom , A. Fitzsimmons , E. Jehin , Y. Moulane , O. Hainaut , K. J. Meech , B. Yang , C. Snodgrass , M. Micheli , J. V. Keane , Z. Benkhaldoun , J. T. Kleyna

We present a photometric and dynamical study of comet C/2010 U3 (Boattini), which was seen active in prediscovery data as early as 2005 November at a new inbound record heliocentric distance $r_{\rm H} = 25.8$ au. Two outburst events around…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2019-04-17 Man-To Hui , Davide Farnocchia , Marco Micheli

Interstellar objects provide a unique opportunity to further our understanding of the planetary formation process by studying in detail material formed around another star. Their ices contain precious clues about the environment and…

3I/ATLAS, also known as C/2025 N$_1$ (ATLAS), is the third interstellar object (ISO) discovered in July 2025. ISOs are particularly interesting because characterizing their physical properties helps us understand and test our knowledge of…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2025-08-13 Jin Beniyama

We report a survey of molecular emission from cometary volatiles using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) toward interstellar object 3I/ATLAS carried out on UT 2025 December 22 and 23 at a heliocentric distance ($r_H$) of $2.37-2.41$ au.…

Comets are primitive remnants of the early Solar System whose composition offers fundamental clues to their formation and evolution. High-resolution, broad-wavelength spectroscopy is crucial for identifying volatile species and constraining…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2025-08-06 A. Alvarez-Candal , J. L. Rizos , L. M. Lara , P. Santos-Sanz , P. J. Gutierrez , J. L. Ortiz , N. Morales

We present optical and near-infrared spectroscopy of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, obtained with Gemini-S/GMOS and NASA IRTF/SpeX on 2025 July 5 and July 14. The optical spectrum shows a red slope of approximately 10% per 1000 angstroms…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2025-09-22 Bin Yang , Karen J. Meech , Michael Connelley , Ruining Zhao , Jacqueline V. Keane

Interstellar objects provide the only directly observable samples of icy planetesimals formed around other stars, and can therefore provide insight into the diversity of physical and chemical conditions occurring during exoplanet formation.…

We investigate the feasibility of a spacecraft mission to conduct a flyby of 3I/ATLAS, the third macroscopic interstellar object discovered on July 1 2025, as it traverses the Solar System. There are both ready-to-launch spacecraft…

We present high-resolution UVES+VLT observations of neutral nickel and iron atoms in the coma of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS taken after perihelion. Metal emission was strong shortly after perihelion and persisted at large heliocentric…

Observations of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS have revealed a strong production of gas and dust near perihelion, together with rapid brightening. The outgassing from the nucleus has led to a detectable non-gravitational acceleration. In…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2026-03-18 Valentin Thoss , Abraham Loeb , Andreas Burkert

In this work, we present the results of an observational study of 2I/Borisov carried out with the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the 3.6-m Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), both telescopes located at the Roque de Los Muchachos…

We present initial observations of the interstellar body 2I/(2019 Q4) Borisov taken to determine its nature prior to the perihelion in 2019 December. Images from the Nordic Optical Telescope show a prominent, morphologically stable dust…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2020-01-08 David Jewitt , Jane Luu

The discovery of the third interstellar object (ISO), 3I/ATLAS (`3I'), provides a rare chance to directly observe a small body from another Solar System. Studying its chemistry and dynamics will add to our understanding of how the processes…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2025-09-03 Matthew J. Hopkins , Rosemary C. Dorsey , John C. Forbes , Michele T. Bannister , Chris J. Lintott , Brayden Leicester

During October - November 2025, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, will pass upstream of the Europa Clipper and Hera spacecraft. Here, we identify two potential opportunities for in-situ observations of 3I's ion tail by immersion, facilitated by…

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics · Physics 2025-10-20 Samuel R. Grant , Geraint H. Jones

3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object passing through the Solar System. In this work, we conduct narrowband radio technosignature search toward 3I/ATLAS using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) L-band…

Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics · Physics 2026-03-20 Jian-Kang Li , Zhen-Zhao Tao , Tong-Jie Zhang