The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in India used its 1.2-meter telescope at Mount Abu to observe the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS after it passed closest to the Sun (perihelion). Interstellar comets come from outside our Solar System, so studying them is very special.
Mount Abu is a good place for astronomy because the sky is dark and clear. Even though 3I/ATLAS became faint after perihelion, PRL scientists were able to take pictures and collect data using their telescope.
Why These Observations Matter
After a comet passes the Sun, its brightness changes and its tail becomes weaker. By studying 3I/ATLAS during this time, PRL learned:
How fast the comet’s brightness faded
What gases and dust were still coming from the comet
What the comet’s nucleus (its solid center) might look like
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