NASA recently released close-up images of the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas, which is making a brief visit to the solar system. Discovered in the summer, this comet is only the third confirmed object from another star to pass through our solar system, having recently flown by Mars.
Three NASA spacecraft near Mars captured images of the comet as it approached within 18 million miles. The European Space Agency’s satellites also observed the comet. Other NASA instruments, including the Webb Space Telescope, will continue to monitor it in the coming weeks. Ground-based telescopes are also focusing on the comet, which is currently about 190 million miles from Earth.
The comet is visible in the predawn sky with binoculars or a telescope. NASA’s acting astrophysics director, Shawn Domagal-Goldman, noted that many astronomers are eager to observe it due to its rarity.
The comet will come closest to Earth at a distance of 167 million miles in mid-December before heading back into interstellar space. The European Space Agency’s Juice spacecraft, which is en route to Jupiter, has been observing the comet, but data will not be available until February due to limitations on data transmission while near the sun.
Named after the telescope in Chile that first detected it, 3I/Atlas is estimated to be between 1,444 feet and 3.5 miles wide. Scientists believe it may have originated from a star system older than our own, offering insights into the early history of the universe.
NASA officials have dismissed speculation that the comet could be an alien spacecraft, attributing such theories to a lack of communication during a federal government shutdown. The agency remains focused on its ongoing search for extraterrestrial life, emphasizing that 3I/Atlas is a comet.
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