Overview

Interstellar 3I/ATLAS and Dark Comets: The Exploration of the Most Debated Cosmic Object of the Century and Quest to Uncover Its Origin In the vast expanse of our solar system, rare visitors from distant stars occasionally cross paths with humanity's gaze, offering glimpses into the cosmic processes that shape planetary formation across the galaxy. Interstellar 3I/ATLAS and Dark Comets: The Exploration of the Most Debated Cosmic Object of the Century and Quest to Uncover Its Origin examines the third confirmed interstellar object, Comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered in July 2025 by the ATLAS survey and observed through an unprecedented coordinated effort involving NASA spacecraft at Mars, en route missions like Lucy and Psyche, solar observatories, and ground-based telescopes. This comet, traveling on a hyperbolic trajectory at speeds exceeding 150,000 miles per hour, revealed unique compositional traits-abundant carbon dioxide, nickel vapor, and limited water ice-that distinguish it from solar system comets, while its perihelion passage inside Mars' orbit in October 2025 provided critical data on outgassing jets and ancient interstellar dust. The book extends this exploration to the emerging class of dark comets, asteroid-like bodies within our solar system that exhibit comet-like acceleration without visible tails, with recent identifications doubling their known population to 14 and revealing two distinct groups: smaller inner objects in near-circular orbits and larger outer ones with elliptical paths. Drawing on multi-vantage observations, spectral analysis, and orbital refinements, the book details how these objects challenge traditional classifications and provide material transport in planetary systems.

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