Astronomers have identified a mysterious object, A11pl3Z, entering the solar system at over 41 miles per second
Astronomers have identified a mysterious object, A11pl3Z, entering the solar system at over 41 miles per second. First spotted by Sam Deen in June and confirmed by the International Astronomical Union, the object is expected to pass Earth on December 17 at a distance of 2.4 AU.
Harvard physicist Avi Loeb estimates A11pl3Z is around 12 miles wide—much larger than past interstellar visitors Oumuamua and Borisov. Loeb speculated it could be “a large space rock or a comet,” but added it might have an artificial origin.
“It was inferred to have a disk-like shape and to exhibit non-gravitational acceleration, raising the possibility of an artificial origin,” Loeb wrote in a Medium article.
Despite its size, scientists do not consider A11pl3Z a threat. Telescopes including the James Webb and Chile’s Rubin Observatory will track its path until it exits the system in 2026.
“They really do whip through the solar system at ridiculous speeds,” said Mark Norris.