For the third time in history, a comet(3I/ATLAS) from another star system is coming into our solar system. Or should I say for the third time we know it has come from another star system. We just started looking relatively recently.
It will approach the sun on October 30th, and if we could see it we could analyze its chemical composition. Sadly, the Earth will be out of alignment with it, so will miss seeing that. Mars will be in alignment, and the MAVEN probe orbiting Mars will be in a perfect position to take photos of the comet, on October 30th...
Sadly MAVEN will be shutdown on October 1st. It could still operate, but to save a million dollars(a year) trump has decided to shut it down. NASA scientists pointed out that they could just keep it functioning for an extra month, and it would cost only about hundred a thousand dollars, but trump has refused to budge on this. NASA scientists have volunteered to work for free, and it would only cost about $25k for the electricity and computer power, but even that was turned down.
In 5 to 10 years, another visitor from outside the solar system will come, and China will be positioned to analyze it. Then China can tell us what it told them about the origin of the universe, other star systems, chemistry, and physics. Or they might just keep the information for themselves.
It will approach the sun on October 30th, and if we could see it we could analyze its chemical composition. Sadly, the Earth will be out of alignment with it, so will miss seeing that. Mars will be in alignment, and the MAVEN probe orbiting Mars will be in a perfect position to take photos of the comet, on October 30th...
Sadly MAVEN will be shutdown on October 1st. It could still operate, but to save a million dollars(a year) trump has decided to shut it down. NASA scientists pointed out that they could just keep it functioning for an extra month, and it would cost only about hundred a thousand dollars, but trump has refused to budge on this. NASA scientists have volunteered to work for free, and it would only cost about $25k for the electricity and computer power, but even that was turned down.
In 5 to 10 years, another visitor from outside the solar system will come, and China will be positioned to analyze it. Then China can tell us what it told them about the origin of the universe, other star systems, chemistry, and physics. Or they might just keep the information for themselves.