Probes could catch tail of Manhattan-sized space object 3I/ATLAS, but time is running out: report

A pair of space probes cruising the solar system may be able to pass through the tail of the mysterious Manhattan-sized comet hurtling towards Earth — but only if the scientists operating them act fast to divert-course.

The probes — Hera and Europa Clipper — are both speeding on separate missions, but a new paper being published in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society found they are perfectly poised to pay a visit to the remains of 3I/ATLAS being dispersed across the solar system.

Both probes will be flying “downwind” of 3I/ATLAS as it cruises through the cosmic neighborhood in the next few weeks and leaves a trail of particles in its wake, Live Science reported , giving researchers the opportunity to fly directly through a comet’s tail for first time in history.