Updates on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
Now visible after its passage behind the Sun, interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS—the third known object from beyond our solar system—is under intense observation by telescopes worldwide and spacecraft in Earth and Mars orbit.
NASA's Latest High-Resolution Images
On November 19th, NASA released its best detailed images of the comet, captured by the half-meter telescope aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). These observations were part of a coordinated effort involving over 20 instruments located in space and on Earth.
“Boy, were they ready for this event!” said Nicky Fox, associate director of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, at the press conference announcing this multi-instrument campaign.
Coordinated Observations from Multiple Vantage Points
Observations from various spacecraft positioned in different orbits and locations—such as Earth orbit, Mars orbit, and en route between planets—allowed tracking of 3I/ATLAS despite its complex path near the Sun. NASA’s coordinated approach was likened to multiple people in a stadium trying to photograph a flying ball with different cameras.
Tom Statler, Lead Scientist for Solar System Small Bodies at NASA, described the endeavor as a “tricky feat of coordination and precision aiming.”
Additional Observations and Techniques
- MRO provided close-up imagery of 3I/ATLAS when the comet came within about 19 million miles of Mars.
- MAVEN orbiter captured ultraviolet images to help analyze the comet’s composition.
- The Perseverance rover observed the comet faintly from the Martian surface.
- Spacecraft Psyche and Lucy, traveling through the solar system, took images to refine the comet’s trajectory and details of its coma and tail.
Sun-Observing Missions
NASA’s heliophysics missions that monitor the Sun also tracked 3I/ATLAS as it passed close to the solar vicinity—an observation difficult for ground-based telescopes due to solar glare.
Summary
NASA's advanced, multi-instrument observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS provide unprecedented insights into its nature and path using assets from Mars orbit, Earth orbit, and solar-observing missions.