Subscribe to Science Friday
This year, comet 3I/Atlas broke into our solar system, but also the zeitgeist. This dirty snowball is a visitor from another solar system, and it’s only the third interstellar object we’ve ever spotted. And today, it’s closer to us than ever before—just 170 million miles away.
Astronomy experts Stefanie Milam and Hakeem Oluseyi join Host Flora Lichtman to dish about 3I/ATLAS and how it captured the spotlight in a way that maybe no other big hunk of rock ever has.
Plus, the sun is setting on the ISS, and the plan is to eventually crash it into the ocean. But wouldn’t it be cooler to send it into deep space instead? A listener pleads his case.
Further Reading
- Ask your questions to Science Friday at 1-877-4-SCIFRI.
- Read more about the comet that’s been mystifying even Kim Kardashian via The New York Times.
Sign Up For The Week In Science Newsletter
Keep up with the week’s essential science news headlines, plus stories that offer extra joy and awe.
Subscribe
Donate To Science Friday
Invest in quality science journalism by making a donation to Science Friday.
Segment Guests
Hakeem Oluseyi
Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi is an astrophysicist and CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Stefanie Milam
Dr. Stefanie Milam is an astrochemist at NASA and a project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope. She studies comets and interstellar objects.
Segment Transcript
The transcript is being processed. It will be available 2-3 days after this story’s publication date.
Meet the Producers and Host
About Rasha Aridi
Rasha Aridi is a producer for Science Friday and the inaugural Outrider/Burroughs Wellcome Fund Fellow. She loves stories about weird critters, science adventures, and the intersection of science and history.
About Flora Lichtman
Flora Lichtman is a host of Science Friday. In a previous life, she lived on a research ship where apertivi were served on the top deck, hoisted there via pulley by the ship’s chef.