3I/ATLAS updates: What the interstellar object is made of and its exact current location

In a rare astronomical event, a comet from beyond our solar system has been captured passing Mars, offering scientists and space enthusiasts a glimpse into the unknown. The interstellar visitor, known as 3I/ATLAS, was photographed by a spacecraft orbiting the red planet last week.

The European Space Agency (ESA) released the images Tuesday, showing a faint, glowing white dot cutting through the blackness of space, a reminder of how vast and mysterious the universe remains.

What makes comet 3I/ATLAS so unique?

Comet 3I/ATLAS is one of only three known interstellar objects ever recorded, following 2017’s ‘Oumuamua and 2019’s 2I/Borisov. These rare visitors are cosmic wanderers, objects that formed around distant stars before being flung into interstellar space. The newly captured images show 3I/ATLAS as a faint white blur moving through the darkness, its icy core wrapped in a cloud of dust and gas known as the coma, as per a report by NBC News.



Astronomers have been tracking the comet since its discovery in July, and it quickly became the center of both scientific fascination and internet speculation. Some even suggested, without evidence, that it could be alien technology. But experts maintain there’s nothing extraterrestrial about it, just a rare visitor from beyond, as per a report by NBC News.

How did ESA capture these extraordinary images?

ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which circles Mars, had a front-row seat as the comet passed by. The orbiter tracked 3I/ATLAS for about a week beginning on Oct. 1, when it was roughly 18.6 million miles from the spacecraft, as per a report by NBC News.

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Nick Thomas, the orbiter’s principal investigator, called the observation “very challenging” since “the comet is around 10,000 to 100,000 times fainter than our usual target.” Despite those difficulties, the team succeeded in capturing several stunning frames of the comet’s journey past Mars, as per a report by NBC News.

ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft also trained its camera on the object, and NASA’s Perseverance rover may have caught a streak of light on its camera, though officials haven’t confirmed whether it was indeed 3I/ATLAS.

Scientists say comet 3I/ATLAS will continue its path through the inner solar system before reaching its closest approach to the sun around October 30. While it poses no threat to Earth, it offers a rare chance to study material from beyond our cosmic neighborhood.

“Every planet, moon, asteroid, comet and lifeform in our solar system share a common origin,” ESA said in a statement. “But interstellar comets are true outsiders, carrying clues about the formation of worlds far beyond our own,” as per a report by NBC News.

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NASA, which has monitored 3I/ATLAS using the Hubble Space Telescope, plans additional observations with several other missions, including the James Webb Space Telescope, Parker Solar Probe, and SPHEREx space observatory, to better understand its composition and trajectory, as per a report by NBC News.

Though the comet is now too close to the sun to observe from Earth, astronomers expect it to reappear in early December as it exits the solar system, leaving behind only data, images, and the memory of a fleeting cosmic visitor.

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FAQs

What is comet 3I/ATLAS?
It’s an interstellar comet, the third known object to enter our solar system from beyond.

Did comet 3I/ATLAS pose any danger to Earth?
No, NASA confirmed it will stay about 170 million miles from Earth during its journey.