Interstellar comet breaks speed record
The Weather Channel · Just In
The Weather Channel
Just In
Researchers were staggered this week when the Hubble Space Telescope captured the image of an unexpected comet traveling at 130,000 miles per hour. The interstellar visitor may have been traveling through the Milky Way for billions of years.
Breakdown
- The Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of the interstellar comet 3I Atlas. 3s
- 3I Atlas is believed to have traveled through the Milky Way for billions of years. 12s
- Gravitational slingshot effects accelerated the comet to 130,000 miles per hour. 19s
- This is the fastest velocity ever recorded for an interstellar visitor. 19s
- Researchers are unsure of the comet's origin, describing its appearance as fleeting. 27s