'Interstellar object' seen with mysterious new glow after reappearing from behind the Sun

Scientists carefully observing the object now say it has re-appeared brighter than when it left Earth's line of sight.

Last month, 3I/ATLAS slipped out of view after it reached its closest point to the Sun, an astronomical event known as perihelion.

As the object reached within 130 million miles of our star, the layers of ice surrounding the object evaporated into glowing gas.

Dr Zhang said that this has left 3I/ATLAS visible for basic telescopes to detect.

In his blog, the astronomer wrote: "Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is now rising early enough in morning twilight to be seen even with small telescopes under imperfect conditions."

The object is only the third interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system, following Oumuamua in 2017 and Borisov in 2019.

It has been estimated to be hurtling through space at speeds exceeding 130,000 miles per hour.

The interstellar object is believed to be making only a brief appearance in the solar system and is now on its way out after swinging around the gravitational pull of the Sun.

University of Kent astronomer Professor Mark Buchell told the Daily Mail that this was "perfectly normal behaviour for a comet".

He added: "The term swing is a slight exaggeration; it is attracted by the sun's great mass, and its orbit gets deflected a bit, but it is not a tight sling shot effect, more a slow change of course."

Speaking about how he was able to spot 3I/ATLAS again, Dr Zhang told Live Science: "All you need is a clear sky and a very low eastern horizon.

"It won't look very impressive, it's just a smudge, but it will be an increasingly visible smudge over the next few days."

The interstellar object has been the focus of an intense debate within the scientific community surrounding its origins.

Although the general consensus among astronomers is that 3I/ATLAS is a large comet, others have suggested it may be the work of extra-terrestrial life beyond the stars.

Harvard astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb has led the charge on theories surrounding alien origins since the object was first detected in July.

He previously said: "As we get more data, when the sun puts more heat on this object, it might reveal its true nature.

"It could be a wake-up call for humanity if we realise that there is a smarter kid on our block."

According to Nasa, 3I/ATLAS will come within 170 million miles of Earth in the near future.

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