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Watch interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS speed away from the sun in free telescope livestream on Nov. 16
Watch interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS speed away from the sun in free telescope livestream on Nov. 16

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A bright, fuzzy point of light representing a comet's central coma is visible shining to the lower left of an image, with a faint tail extending to the upper left lof the screen. Points of light representing stars are visible in the black sky beyond.
Credit: Gianluca Masi, The Virtual Telescope Project.

Tune in on Nov. 16 to witness detailed telescopic views of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it races headlong away from the sun on an escape trajectory from our solar system, courtesy of a livestream hosted by the Virtual Telescope Project.

The Virtual Telescope Project's YouTube livestream begins at 11:15 p.m. ET on Nov. 16 (0415 GMT on Nov. 17) and will feature live views of comet 3I/ATLAS captured by the organization's suite of robotic telescopes situated in Manciano, Italy.

Comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1 earlier this year and was swiftly confirmed to be just the third interstellar object ever to visit our solar system, based on an analysis of its trajectory. The interstellar comet recently made its closest approach to the sun on Oct. 30 during an event known to astronomers as "perihelion" and has only recently emerged out from behind our parent star.

Virtual Telescope Project founder Gianluca Masi captured a stunning image of comet 3I/ATLAS on Nov. 11, which revealed the interstellar invader's glowing central coma and lengthening smoke-like ion tail being carried away by the solar wind.

A bright, fuzzy point of light representing a comet's central coma is visible shining to the lower left of an image, with a faint tail extending to the upper left lof the screen. Points of light representing stars are visible in the black sky beyond.
Comet 3I/ATLAS pictured glowing in the night sky on Nov. 11 | Credit: Gianluca Masi, The Virtual Telescope Project.

3I/ATLAS can currently be found rising above the eastern horizon in the hours directly preceding dawn in mid-to-late November, travelling through the stars of the constellation Virgo.

With an estimated magnitude (or brightness) of +10.9, 3I/ATLAS is too dim to be spotted by the naked eye, though a small backyard telescope will be capable of resolving its bright central coma as a fuzzy blob of diffuse light against the sharper points of the stars beyond.

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].

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