Photos by Th.Boeckel
An interstellar guest traversed our sun system
The
interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has been described as
everything from a cosmic phenomenon to a spacecraft.
Due to its unusual hyperbolic trajectory through our
solar system, this rare celestial object was
classified as interstellar. It was the third
detected interstellar body, following
1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Further
observations confirmed clear properties, such as coma activity
or tail.
Thus 3I/ATLAS was classified as a comet.
3I/ATLAS was
discovered in July 2025 by the Asteroid
Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in
Chile. Its closest approach to Earth occurred on
December 19, 2025, in a distance of apprx. 269
million kilometers (about 1.8 AU), roughly twice
the Earth-Sun distance
31.December 2025,
Germerswang, Bavaria,
South Germany
After 17 days of waiting time
because of stubborn extensive dense fog banks in
South Germany prefered
at my observation point, the
last chance arosed at New Year's Eve
in the early morning hours between 4:50
(moonset) and 5:50 (nautical dawn)
before the beginning of the
new full moon phase.
At the beginning the seeing was
misaerable (3 from 10) but
increased steady and luckily it works in the
last hour!!
04:50 UT, Newton
12,5", f 6,
exp. 2x 34 sec, Iso
6400, Sony aIV,
comet
brightness
~ mag
11.5
Noticeable the bright variable red giant star r-Leonis
(r leo)
Happy New Year!
*mag
= > light magnitude:
Up to
mag
+3 or +4
stars are
visible nearby cities with the naked eye, in very dark areas the
seeing limit can reach up to mag
+6-7.
The more higher numerical value is
given, the more weaker are the objects. E.g.
- 4,7 mag, Venus glittering;
- 1,0 Sirius,
brightest star; + 3,5
M31 Andromeda,
pale shiny oval)
Comet
3I/Atlas, Interstellar
