我国航天器首次观测到星际天体

Core Viewpoint - The successful observation of the interstellar object Atlas by the Tianwen-1 orbiter marks a significant achievement in China's space exploration efforts, showcasing advanced capabilities in observing faint celestial bodies and contributing to future asteroid exploration missions [2][3]. Group 1: Observation Details - The Tianwen-1 orbiter successfully observed the interstellar object Atlas from a distance of approximately 30 million kilometers, making it one of the closest spacecraft to observe this celestial body [2]. - Atlas, discovered on July 1, 2025, is the third known interstellar object to visit the solar system and is believed to be between 3 billion and 11 billion years old, potentially older than the solar system itself [2]. - The high-resolution camera on Tianwen-1 captured images showing distinct comet-like features of Atlas, with a nucleus diameter of several kilometers [2]. Group 2: Technical Challenges and Solutions - The observation posed significant challenges due to the object's great distance, high relative speed (approximately 58 km/s), and small size (nucleus diameter of about 5.6 km), making it much dimmer than the Martian surface [3]. - The Tianwen-1 team began preparations for the observation in early September, employing advanced simulation and modeling techniques to assess the feasibility of the mission [3]. - The high-resolution camera, originally designed for bright Martian surface imaging, was adapted to capture this faint target, which is 10,000 to 100,000 times dimmer than the Martian surface [3]. Group 3: Mission Status - The Tianwen-1 probe has been operational since February 2021, successfully maintaining a stable status for 4 years and 8 months [4].