Time-domain photometry and activity evolution of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS with BHTOM

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Authors: A. Fraser Gillan, Łukasz Wyrzykowski, P. Mikołajczyk, Krzysztof Kotysz, Erica Bufanda, Colin O. Chandler, Süleyman Fişek, Henry H. Hsieh, Michael S. P. Kelley, P. J. Pessi, James E. Robinson, SİNAN ALİŞ
+60 more Wieńczysław Bykowski, Richard Cannon, Martin Dominik, Barbara Handzlik, Mehmet İçen, Sebastian Kurowski, A C Kutluay, Joysankar Majumdar, Çağlayan Nehir, David O'Neill, Sibel Ötken, Kangming Pu, Özlem Şimşir, Colin Snodgrass, Cihan Tuğrul Tezcan, F Tezcan, Mauritz M. Wicker, Fuat Korhan YELKENCİ, Michał Żejmo, K. Ackley, M. Andersen, C. Ávalos-Vega, S. Belkin, V. Bozza, Rene P. Breton, M. J. Burgdorf, J. Casares, Vik. S. Dhillon, A J Donaldson, Martin J. Dyer, R. Figuera Jaimes, Duncan K. Galloway, T. C. Hinse, M. Hundertmark, E. Khalouei, Thomas Killestein, R. Kotak, Amit Kumar, Feng-Yuan Frey Liu, P. Longa-Peña, Joe D. Lyman, Luigi Mancini, A. Moharana, V. Molina, K. Noysena, Laura Kate Nuttall, Paul O'Brien, V. Okoth, C. Opitom, Don Pollacco, M. Rabus, G. Ramsay, S. Sajadian, A. Salinas San Martin, J. Skottfelt, J. Southworth, Danny Steeghs, J. Tregloan-Reed, Krzysztof Ulaczyk, R. Vieliute
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Abstract

Time-domain photometric monitoring is essential for characterizing cometary evolution, particularly for rare interstellar objects with limited observing opportunities. We aimed to characterize the pre-perihelion photometric behavior and dust activity of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and to test the capability of the Black Hole Target and Observation Manager (BHTOM) platform and telescope network for coordinated high-cadence non-sidereal observations. We obtained 70 days of time-series photometry of 3I/ATLAS from 2025 July 4 to September 11 using 16 telescopes and 1554 images. The data were processed and calibrated with the BHTOM pipeline. High-cadence multiband imaging was used to measure the rotation period and color evolution, while the dust activity was quantified via Af̊ho measurements. We present a pre-perihelion light curve of 3I/ATLAS from R_ h = 3.18 - 2.19 au, which exhibited a steady brightening by sim3 magnitudes with no evidence of anomalous behavior. We measured a rotation period of P_ rot = 15.98 ± 0.08 h. The colors were statistically non-changing, with only a weak, non-significant tendency for 3I/ATLAS to become bluer at 3.5 > R_ h > 2.2 au. The relative dust production increased from A(0^̧irc)f̊ho sim600 to 1100 cm, and the upper limit on the dust mass-loss rate increased from łeq 217 kg s -1 $ to łeq 328 kg s^-1. We measured an activity index of $n = -1.24 ± 0.02, which is consistent with a well-developed dust coma.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Astro and Planetary Science Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies Planetary Science and Exploration

Publication details

Journal / source
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Publisher
EDP Sciences
Publication date
14 August 2026
Language
EN