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2w ago

NASA Unveils Multi‑Mission Views of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

New images and spectra from spacecraft across the solar system point to a natural, volatile‑driven comet that poses no threat to Earth.

Image
Image
This undated diagram shows the trajectory of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system, released by NASA on July 2, 2025. NASA/JPL-Caltech THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY/File Photo
The MAVEN orbiter captured the comet in ultraviolet light, spying its hydrogen atoms on September 28.

Overview

  • At a Nov. 19 briefing, NASA released a coordinated set of images from at least eight missions, spanning Mars orbit and surface, deep space, and solar observatories, including a first-ever comet photo taken from another planet by Perseverance.
  • Spectroscopic and imaging data show a bright coma and faint tail with CO2-dominated outgassing plus water, carbon monoxide, cyanide and detectable nickel, consistent with cometary activity.
  • Officials said the object looks and behaves like a comet and is the third confirmed interstellar visitor, first spotted by the ATLAS survey in Chile on July 1.
  • 3I/ATLAS passed about 19 million miles from Mars in early October and was tracked through solar conjunction by STEREO, SOHO and PUNCH, with trajectory measurements showing no unusual behavior.
  • The comet will make a safe closest pass to Earth on Dec. 19 at roughly 170 million miles, with continued follow-up planned as delayed datasets from a 43‑day federal shutdown are now being released.