A team of astronomers made an unexpected discovery using the Vera Rubin Observatory, capturing high-resolution images of a rare interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, weeks before it was officially detected. The observations provide valuable insights into the comet’s behavior and offer a unique opportunity for scientists to study its characteristics.
The Rubin telescope, still in its science validation phase, accidentally caught images of 3I/ATLAS between June 21st and July 7th, capturing the earliest high-resolution images of the comet before it was officially released. The images were taken using the telescope’s 8.4m Simoyi Survey Telescope and 3.2-gigapixel Legacy Survey of Space and Time.
The data revealed that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, with characteristics such as a coma of gas and dust surrounding its core. The apparent size of the coma grew by about 58% over the observational period as it approached the Sun. Interestingly, the comet displayed a sunward-pointing tail, which can be explained by “anisotropic dust emission.”
While the discovery is significant, scientists are also eager to observe 3I/ATLAS’s behavior during its perihelion in October, when it will approach the Sun and potentially show signs of non-gravitational acceleration. Unfortunately, the object itself will not be visible at that time due to the Sun’s blocking effect.
The discovery highlights the power of serendipity in scientific research. The team expects at least 100 more images of the comet to be captured between August 22nd and October, providing valuable data for future studies.
Source: https://www.universetoday.com/articles/apparently-vera-rubin-captured-images-of-3iatlas-before-it-was-even-discovered