A new cosmic mystery is racing through our solar system and astronomers are on the case. Dubbed A11pl3Z, this object may be only the third known interstellar traveler to wander in from another star system.
Currently located hundreds of millions of kilometers from the sun, just past Jupiter, A11pl3Z is heading toward Mars. Based on its unusual orbit and extreme speed, scientists suspect it arrived from beyond the solar system.
What We Know So Far
- Designation: A11pl3Z
- Location: Near Jupiter, moving inward toward Mars
- Estimated size: around 40 kilometers across
- Composition: Unknown—could be a rocky asteroid or an icy comet
Astrophysicist Josep Trigo-Rodriguez of the Institute of Space Sciences near Barcelona believes A11pl3Z is interstellar, given its trajectory and high velocity. The European Space Agency announced the discovery on Wednesday, and NASA is also monitoring the object closely.
A Brief Interstellar Timeline
The solar system has seen just two confirmed interstellar visitors before A11pl3Z:
- 2017: Oumuamua, initially classified as an asteroid but later revealing comet-like features.
- 2019: 21/Borisov, identified as a comet, the first to show clear icy characteristics.
With more observations in the coming weeks, astronomers hope to unravel A11pl3Z's origin, shape and composition—potentially unlocking clues about distant star systems and the building blocks of planets.
Stay tuned as ESA and NASA continue to track this extraordinary cosmic guest.
Reference(s):
Astronomers track object possibly from beyond the solar system
cgtn.com
