Are we hitching our wagon to the wrong star?
Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has slammed a seemingly far-fetched proposal to intercept interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS with a spacecraft, claiming that we’re putting energy in the wrong places. “Is that what we need to invest our resources in?” the astrophysicist, who has repeatedly floated theories on the space rock’s, told The Post.
He compared it to an unhealthy romantic obsession, inquiring, “Before you decide about a long-term commitment, you should ask yourself, ‘Is this really the object that I want to marry?'”that claimed it was possible to catch up to ATLAS with a probe, allowing us to hitch a ride and explore solar systems other than our own. Unfortunately, we’d have to act fast. According to the study authors, who include former NASA staffer and Space Initiatives chief scientist Marshall Eubanks, the interception mission would have to launch in 2035 with the hopes of catching up to the intergalactic interloper by 2085, Jesus' crucifixion linked to lunar eclipse, according to NASA discovery — and it could pinpoint the exact day he diedSkull of 'dinosaur from Hell' discovered with sword jutting from its head To achieve this sci-fi-esque feat, scientists would need to harness a phenomenon known as the Oberth effect, which involves receiving a speed boost from the Sun’s gravitational field. This would require the ATLAS interceptor to rev up its engines at periapsis – the object’s closest point to said gravitating entity, in this case our solar accelerant. While seemingly far-fetched, Eubanks observed that “every launch uses the Oberth effect,” although he noted there’s no record of their proposed variation involving “a major rocket burn at closest approach in a flyby.”Indeed, the probe would have to fly perilously close to the sun like an interstellar Icarus. This would require outfitting our hypothetical hitcher with a sun shield, much like with NASA’s when it came within 3.7 million miles of our light source in 2023. The solar-powered interceptor, meanwhile, would have to get much closer, and like Parker, perform several fly-bys of Venus afterward to attain the right velocity. If researchers are able to pull this maneuver off, the 3I/ATLAS interceptor would likely become the fastest spacecraft ever, “by a good measure,” said Eubanks.However, Loeb believed that the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze. “This timescale sounds very long,” scoffed the researcher, claiming that most of us will “not be alive” by the time the probe theoretically reached ATLAS. By that point, per Loeb, we would’ve detected “hundreds of interstellar objects” that we could pursue rather than chasing ATLAS, which will fly-by Jupiter in March before exiting our solar system forever.He calculated that there could be as many as 35 million interstellar objects “roughly the size of a person that are within the orbit of the Earth around the south.” “Given a large sample, we might see anomalous objects that look technological, in which case, definitely visit those,” he declared. Loeb said that it’d be better to prioritize devising technology to analyze and intercept them rather than stalking ATLAS across the cosmos. He claimed that the powerful telescopes like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, whichEven Eubanks admitted that our resources could be better spent, declaring, “Maybe, after, say ten interstellar objects have been found, 3I will seem commonplace, and it won’t seem worthwhile to mount an expedition to chase it.” The European Space Agency is already planning to debut its Comet Interceptor mission by 2028 and “park” it in space, so it can potentially intercept a visitor from beyond.“You go to a bar and you see someone attractive and you say, ‘okay, well, I need to learn more about that person,'” he said. “By the time you move, the person left out the door into the dark street. Now, the point is, there are many other people in the bar.” “You should date many more people to increase your sample,” he urged, before quipping, “never get married after a first date.”This plant's been called 'nature's Valium' — it can help fight anxiety, reduce stress and treat insomnia Bijou Phillips says she’s ‘hanging on by a thread’ in rare interview as ‘urgent’ kidney search continuesMark Consuelos Admits He’s “Often Thought About” Whether It’s OK To Have Sex In Front Of Your Dog
Science 3I/ATLAS Comets Study Says
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Larry Summers to retire from Harvard after renewed scrutiny over Epstein tiesLawrence Summers is retiring from his position at Harvard University after documents released by the Justice Department revealed additional details about his past association with Jeffrey Epstein.
Read more »
Harvard’s Slutty Professor Finally Pays Price for Epstein ShameThe disgraced Larry Summers is leaving Harvard after all.
Read more »
Larry Summers retiring from Harvard following Epstein email falloutBusiness Insider tells the global tech, finance, stock market, media, economy, lifestyle, real estate, AI and innovative stories you want to know.
Read more »
Harvard professor Larry Summers resigning after Epstein revelationsLarry Summers, the former Harvard University president whose personal relationship to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein caused him to step back from teaching duties last fall, will retire from his university professorship and all other faculty appointments at the end of the year, a university spokesperson said.
Read more »
Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard during review of Epstein ties, university saysSummers has been on leave since November and whose name appeared hundreds of times in newly released Epstein files.
Read more »
Larry Summers resigns from Harvard over ties to Jeffrey EpsteinLarry Summers is resigning from his academic and faculty positions at Harvard University over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Read more »