Discovered by the ATLAS collision warning system in late June 2025, A11pl3Z is traveling at more than 245,000 km/h and has an orbital eccentricity of nearly 6.0 – clearly indicating that it is not bound by the Sun’s gravity. It is the third interstellar object ever observed by humans after ‘Oumuamua (2017) and Borisov (2019), but it surpasses it in size and early detection.
A11pl3Z's predicted path makes it the third interstellar object ever seen in the solar system (Source: Newscientist)
The object is currently in Jupiter's orbit (about 3.8 AU), and will make a close approach to Mars on October 3 before orbiting the Sun and leaving the Solar System in late October.
Unlike Borisov with its gas tail or Oumuamua which is controversial for its unusual motion, A11pl3Z is an object with no signs of cometary activity, an extremely hyperbolic orbit and a diameter of 10–20 km, making it more observable by ground-based and space-based telescopes.
The early detection allowed astronomers to closely track its journey, thereby studying its composition, structure and ability to carry prebiotic material from planetary systems outside the Milky Way.
Large observatories such as James Webb and Rubin are planning to continuously monitor A11pl3Z. If organic molecules such as amino acids are found, this could be indirect evidence of conditions for life to form elsewhere in the universe.
As humanity attempts to decode signals from the distant universe, the appearance of A11pl3Z brings with it the hope of groundbreaking discoveries that will help us better understand the origins – not only of strange objects, but of life itself on Earth.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/vat-the-lien-sao-a11pl3z-khach-la-thu-ba-ghe-qua-he-mat-troi-ar952401.html
Comment (0)