Probes could catch tail of Manhattan-sized space object 3I/ATLAS, but time is running out: report

A pair of space probes cruising the solar system may be able to pass through the tail of the mysterious Manhattan-sized comet hurtling towards Earth — but only if the scientists operating them act fast to divert-course.

The probes — Hera and Europa Clipper — are both speeding on separate missions, but a new paper being published in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society found they are perfectly poised to pay a visit to the remains of 3I/ATLAS being dispersed across the solar system.

Both probes will be flying “downwind” of 3I/ATLAS as it cruises through the cosmic neighborhood in the next few weeks and leaves a trail of particles in its wake, Live Science reported, giving researchers the opportunity to fly directly through a comet’s tail for first time in history.

The probe Europa Clipper is on the way to Jupiter’s moon, but could pass through the comet’s tail if scientists act fast. Nasa

The probes wouldn’t be flying straight through the tail, however, but across a field where its particles are expected to be blown into space by the Sun’s solar wind.

That dispersal field would be about 5 million miles from the comet itself, but would still be plenty close for the probes to collect invaluable information from the particles it leaves behind.

3I/ATLAS has left scientists puzzled since it was first spotted in June. Though few have disputed that it is anything but a comet, its irregular behavior and make-up have some like Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb speculating it could be an intelligently-operated alien probe.

It is expected to fly closest to the Earth by the end of October, but will be hidden behind the sun and impossible for Earthen telescopes and cameras to get a good look at it.

The object is also ejecting a nickel alloy only ever found in human manufacturing, and previously emitted an “anti-tail” from its front that Loeb speculated could be some kind of “braking thrust” system.

The mysterious 3I/ATLAS is believed to be a comet, but some speculate it could be an alien probe. AP

Hera and Europa Clipper could be science’s best bet to gather information from the object.

But they will only be in that position over the next two weeks, and scientists would need to act immediately to send them on course to meet the comet’s tail, according to Live Science.

Hera may not even be able to be of much help. The probe is currently headed to study an asteroid and isn’t equipped with instruments that could do much reading of 3I/ATLAS’ particles.

But Europa Clipper — which is on the way to analyze ice on Jupiter’s moon Europa — has exactly the kind of instruments the job would call for.