我国深空探测不断探索新高度 天问一号成功观测到星际天体

Core Insights - The Tianwen-1 mission successfully observed the interstellar comet Atlas, marking the first time a Chinese spacecraft has observed an interstellar body, which is estimated to be between 3 billion and 11 billion years old [1][3]. Group 1: Mission Details - Tianwen-1 is China's first Mars probe, originally designed to capture images of the bright Martian surface, but it has now successfully attempted to photograph a much fainter target, Atlas, which is 10,000 to 100,000 times dimmer than Mars [3]. - The probe was approximately 30 million kilometers away from Atlas during the imaging process, making it one of the closest spacecraft to observe this interstellar object [3][7]. Group 2: Scientific Significance - Atlas follows a hyperbolic trajectory, indicating it originated from outside the solar system, unlike celestial bodies within the solar system that follow elliptical orbits [5]. - Continuous imaging of Atlas allowed the research team to gather information about its flight path through the solar system and its position relative to Mars [7][9]. - The research team deduced that Atlas likely originated near an ancient star in the center of the Milky Way galaxy, with its discovery initially made by a ground-based telescope in Chile [9][11]. Group 3: Composition and Future Research - The imaging analysis revealed that Atlas has a significant tail, potentially containing water ice and carbon dioxide, which requires further confirmation [13]. - The unique nature of Atlas means that every particle of dust and ice it carries is different from those found in the solar system, providing an opportunity to compare its composition with solar system comets to gain insights into the origins of the solar system [13]. Group 4: Future Missions - The successful observation of Atlas by Tianwen-1 lays a technical foundation for the upcoming Tianwen-2 mission, which will also focus on detecting small, faint celestial bodies [15]. - The experience gained from this mission is expected to contribute to future deep space exploration efforts [15].