The Manhattan-sized interstellar object 3I/ATLAS will buzz past Mars this week — making its closest pass to any planet on its route as scientists are rushing to coordinate crafts to observe the phenomenon.

3I/ATLAS will begin its pass by the Red Planet Wednesday and will be closest on Friday — reaching just over 18.5 million miles away, according to the European Space Agency.

The entire progression will be observed by the ESA’s orbiters the Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter as well as NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter which will utilize the cutting edge HiRISA camera to get the clearest images yet of the rock. 3

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who believes the interstellar object could be alien technology, stated the new images will help solve the mysterious object whi

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