Hubble Captures Detailed Image of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the most detailed image to date of comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object currently passing through our solar system.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the most detailed image to date of comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object currently passing through our solar system.
Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to traverse our solar system.
Hubble's observations have refined estimates of the comet's icy nucleus, determining its diameter to be between 320 meters and 5.6 kilometers.
Traveling at approximately 130,000 mph (209,000 kph), 3I/ATLAS will pass closer to Mars than Earth, posing no threat to our planet.
At the time of Hubble's imaging, the comet was 277 million miles (446 million kilometers) from Earth. The telescope revealed a teardrop-shaped dust plume around the nucleus and traces of a dusty tail.
Further observations from other missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope, are expected to provide additional insights into the comet's chemical composition and origin.