The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has launched a global campaign to disseminate accurate scientific information about the recently discovered interstellar visitor, 3I/ATLAS. This initiative, spearheaded by the IAU’s Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO), and its Minor Planet Centre (MPC), aims to inform the public and media while minimising the effect of sensationalist rumors and false information circulating online.
3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object discovered passing through our solar system, discovered by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Its orbit is hyperbolic, meaning it does not revolve around our Sun. More than 4000 observations of the object have been received by the IAU Minor Planet Centre which confirm that it will not come anywhere close to Earth. Such objects offer astronomers a unique opportunity to study small bodies that originate from planetary systems in other parts of the Milky Way.
The IAU has received a considerable number of public inquiries about this rare visitor and has witnessed the rapid spread of misinformation. To address this, the IAU has published a webpage with validated scientific information, as well as FAQs, videos, and infographics. These resources will be adapted by the IAU’s extensive network of National Outreach Coordinators to effectively reach communities globally, and counter rumors that undermine scientific understanding.
The resources on the IAU webpage are available freely online, providing media outlets and the public with authentic scientific sources for the latest, accurate information regarding 3I/ATLAS.
About the IAU
The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together about 13,000 distinguished astronomers from around the world. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects, including research, communication, education and development, through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world’s largest professional body for astronomers.
About the OAO
The IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach (OAO) is a joint project of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), under the auspices of the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan. The office is based in Tokyo, at the NAOJ Mitaka Campus.
The mission of the OAO is to engage the public in astronomy through access to astronomical information and communication of the science of astronomy. This is implemented through a network of IAU National Outreach Coordinators (NOCs) and the IAU’s engagement initiatives with the public, encouraging active communication of science through IAU member public engagement, professional-amateur, and citizen science activities.
The work of the OAO is about building bridges between the IAU and the global astronomy community of amateur astronomers, outreach practitioners, educators, communicators, and the general public, and through international collaboration, to make the science of astronomy accessible to all.
About the MPC
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory , under the auspices of Division F of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
The MPC is responsible for the designation of minor bodies in the solar system: minor planets; comets; and natural satellites. The MPC is also responsible for the efficient collection, (computation), checking and dissemination of astrometric observations and orbits for minor planets, comets and outer natural satellites, via the Minor Planet Circulars (issued generally on a monthly basis), the Minor Planet Circulars Orbit Supplement (MPO) (issued three to twelve times per year), the Minor Planet Circulars Supplement (MPS) (issued three or four times a month) and the Minor Planet Electronic Circulars (issued as necessary, generally at least once per day).
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