ESA's Juice Spacecraft Captures Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) has captured images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, offering new insights into this celestial visitor. The comet, first detected on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile, made its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, 2025, coming within 1.4 AU.

In November 2025, Juice utilized five of its scientific instruments—JANUS, MAJIS, SWI, PEP, and UVS—to observe 3I/ATLAS. The JANUS camera alone captured over 120 images across a broad wavelength range. Due to Juice's position on the opposite side of the Sun, data transmission was delayed, with the information reaching Earth in February 2026.

The images reveal the comet's nucleus enveloped by a bright coma, with a tail exhibiting jets and filaments. These observations are expected to enhance understanding of the comet's behavior and composition.