3I/ATLAS: NASA unveils rare images of third-known interstellar comet as it nears Earth

Since its discovery, 3I ATLAS, the third interstellar object, has been widely discussed on the internet. While many people remain perplexed by its unusual behaviour, NASA has released images of it taken with multiple lenses. According to the blog post, Twelve NASA assets have captured multiple images of 3I/ATLAS and confirmed that more will be shared soon to help in determining how the composition of this comet differs from those formed around the Sun.

Survey

Mars has provided some of the most up-close views yet. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured detailed images of 3I/ATLAS as it passed the Red Planet at a distance of around 19 million miles earlier this year, while the MAVEN orbiter captured ultraviolet data that could reveal the comet’s chemical composition. On the surface, the Perseverance rover observed a faint detection.

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We've just released the latest images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, as observed by eight different spacecraft, satellites, and telescopes.

Here's what we've learned about the comet — and how we're studying it across the solar system: https://t.co/ZIt1Qq6DSp pic.twitter.com/ITD6BqVlGn

— NASA (@NASA) November 19, 2025

As the comet approached the Sun, NASA’s heliophysics missions took over. The comet was monitored by the STEREO spacecraft from September 11 to October 2, and then by the ESA–NASA SOHO mission from October 15 to October 26. The comet’s tail was also captured by NASA’s recently launched PUNCH mission in late September and early October.

NASA’s deep-space missions also participated in the endeavour. On September 8 and 9, the Psyche spacecraft captured several photos from a distance of roughly 33 million miles. This information will be used to improve the comet’s trajectory. A week later, the Lucy spacecraft took a series of pictures from a distance of 240 million miles, which scientists then combined to reveal specifics about the comet’s tail and coma.

For the unversed, NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope in Chile made the initial discovery of the comet. Since then, the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the SPHEREx mission have all observed it, contributing to the expanding dataset.

Comet 3I/ATLAS will come closest to Earth on December 19 at a distance of approximately 170 million miles, nearly twice the distance between Earth and the Sun. NASA intends to continue monitoring the interstellar traveller as it moves outward, eventually passing through Jupiter’s orbit in spring 2026.

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Ashish Singh

Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile