NASA and ESA Capture Detailed Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
NASA and ESA have released new images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing increased activity as it approaches Earth.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered in July 2025, is exhibiting heightened activity as it approaches Earth. Recent images from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) spacecraft reveal significant outgassing and the development of multiple tails.
On November 30, Hubble captured a detailed image showing the comet's bright nucleus and surrounding coma, indicating increased activity following its close approach to the Sun. The image also displays faint features of the comet's tails, resulting from solar radiation pushing gas and dust away from the nucleus.
ESA's Juice spacecraft, en route to Jupiter, observed 3I/ATLAS on November 2 from a distance of 41 million miles. The images reveal a glowing coma and hints of two tails: a plasma tail composed of ionized gas and a dust tail made of solid particles. These observations suggest that the comet is highly active as it nears its closest approach to Earth on December 19, when it will be approximately 170 million miles away.
Additional observations from various spacecraft, including NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Perseverance rover, have contributed to a comprehensive understanding of 3I/ATLAS's behavior and composition. These collective efforts provide valuable insights into the characteristics of interstellar objects passing through our solar system.