Hubble Captures Detailed Image of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

The Hubble Space Telescope has captured the most detailed image yet of comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object currently traversing our solar system. The image reveals a teardrop-shaped dust plume emanating from the comet's nucleus, along with the early formation of a dust tail.

Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), 3I/ATLAS is only the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system, following 'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. The comet is traveling at approximately 130,000 miles per hour (209,000 kilometers per hour), the highest velocity ever recorded for a solar system visitor.

Hubble's observations have allowed astronomers to estimate the size of the comet's solid, icy nucleus, which is not directly visible. The nucleus is believed to be between 1,000 feet (320 meters) and 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) in diameter.

The comet's dust-loss rate is consistent with that of comets originating within our solar system, suggesting similar physical characteristics despite its interstellar origin.

David Jewitt, professor of astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles, and lead author of a forthcoming paper in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, stated, "No one knows where the comet came from. It's like glimpsing a rifle bullet for a thousandth of a second. You can't project that back with any accuracy to figure out where it started on its path."

3I/ATLAS is expected to remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September before passing too close to the Sun to observe. It is anticipated to reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December.