Newly released images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS offer the clearest view yet of the rare visitor moving through the inner solar system. Taken over several weeks by multiple spacecraft, the pictures reveal a bright central point surrounded by a faint halo of gas and dust, with a thin tail stretching behind it. Their publication was delayed by a recent government shutdown, but they now provide scientists with valuable insights into the comet’s behavior.
The comet, discovered in July, is only the third confirmed interstellar object ever observed in our solar system. Because it has passed closer to spacecraft than previous interstellar visitors, researchers have been able to gather unusually detailed observations. One spacecraft recorded stacked exposures of 3I/ATLAS on September 16 as it moved toward Mars. Another set of images taken between September 11 and 25 showed the comet traveling at about 130,000 miles per hour. Additional images were captured when the object passed near Mars, appearing as a fast-moving point of light.
The combined observations help track its path as it approaches and departs its closest point to the Sun. Scientists expect to resume ground-based observations in early December. The comet will pass Earth safely at about 170 million miles on December 19.
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