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After teasing a large announcement, NASA has released a slate of caller images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, including the closest observations obtained to date.
Across the Solar System, from observatories studying the Sun to spacecraft connected the mode to the asteroid belt, a slew of NASA-supported missions person managed to seizure the visiting entity arsenic it moves done the Solar System.
The closest observations, however, came from Mars, which was wrong a cosmic whisker of 3I/ATLAS; specifically, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), presently surveying the reddish satellite from orbit.
Related: Don't Panic! 3I/ATLAS Isn't an Alien Death Probe, But It Is Wildly Unusual
MRO's presumption of comet 3I/ATLAS, snapped from a region of conscionable 30 cardinal kilometers, oregon 19 cardinal miles, connected 2 October 2025. (NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona)"Comet 3I/ATLAS has … arrived astatine its closest constituent to the Sun erstwhile the Earth was connected the incorrect broadside for america to conveniently observe," NASA planetary idiosyncratic Tom Statler said during the event.
"But Mars was connected the close broadside of the Sun, and our Mars assets were capable to observe the comet. And besides respective of our different spacecraft were connected the close broadside of the Sun. So the technological assemblage is truly excited astir the comet and astir these caller observations."
Scientists and the nationalist alike person been avidly watching the comet since the ATLAS survey scope first spotted it connected 1 July 2025.
The object's operation of properties makes it unlike immoderate different comet we've seen, but its way done the Solar System placed it connected the other broadside of the Sun from Earth during perihelion connected October 29 – the important clip erstwhile a comet's enactment reaches a highest arsenic its ices sublime into spurting vapor.
Luckily, humans person grown beauteous bully astatine Solar System exploration, and a fig of missions were capable to instrumentality clip from their halfway duties to ticker the comet arsenic it passed. The astir awesome were from Mars because, arsenic Science Mission Directorate subordinate head Nikki Fox noted, "the comet was close wrong the orbit of Mars."
Lucy's blessed drawback of the interloping comet. (NASA/Goddard/SwRI/JHU-APL)We're yet to spot perihelion images, but adjacent portion the US authorities was unopen down, NASA missions continued to instrumentality observations, which the bureau is present capable to release.
In summation to the MRO, which captured the comet astatine optical wavelengths, NASA's MAVEN orbiter observed the comet successful ultraviolet wavelengths, providing antithetic details astir the hydrogen successful 3I/ATLAS's ambiance and tail. Meanwhile, the Perseverance rover was perfectly placed to ticker the comet from the Martian surface.
From their vantage constituent successful star orbit, NASA's star observatories PUNCH, STEREO, and the associated NASA-ESA ngo SOHO captured images. LUCY and Psyche – missions to survey absorbing targets successful the asteroid loop betwixt the orbits of Mars and Jupiter – besides managed to snag sightings.
MAVEN reflection of 3I/ATLAS connected September 28. (NASA/Goddard/LASP/CU Boulder)All the images are a small connected the fuzzy side, but each volition supply important accusation for learning arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable astir this unusual comet. As a comet, indeed, it is – successful spite of the champion efforts of those suggesting alien malevolence.
"I'd similar to code the rumors," NASA subordinate head Amit Kshatriya said.
"I deliberation it's important that we speech astir that. This entity is simply a comet. It looks and behaves similar a comet and each grounds points to it being a comet. But this 1 came from extracurricular the Solar System, which makes it fascinating, exciting, and scientifically precise important."
That cometary individuality is supported by a caller photograph captured by astrophotographer Satoru Murata of New Mexico connected November 16, who shared an representation connected Facebook. It showcases long, luscious, streaming tails and a somewhat greenish coma – each accordant with a earthy origin.
Comet 3I/ATLAS connected 16 November 2025, arsenic seen from New Mexico. (Satoru Murata/Facebook)We're not done with 3I/ATLAS yet. Its closest attack to Earth volition instrumentality spot connected December 19. It'll inactive beryllium immoderate region away, but that'll beryllium the champion accidental for capturing it with telescopes and cameras close present connected Earth.
