NASA Unveils Stunning Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

NASA has released remarkable images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured during its close encounter with Mars last month. The images, taken by the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, provide valuable insights into the comet’s coma, despite a delay in their release caused by the recent US federal government shutdown.

The comet’s proximity to Mars allowed scientific instruments to capture detailed observations. On October 2, 2023, HiRISE took a striking image of 3I/ATLAS, which was approximately 19 million miles away at the time. NASA associate administrator Amit Kshatriya described the image as a “fuzzy white ball,” referring to the cloud of dust and ice surrounding the comet known as the coma.

Observations of interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS are rare, and Shane Byrne, principal investigator for HiRISE and professor at the University of Arizona, emphasized the significance of this encounter. He stated, “Observations of interstellar objects are still rare enough that we learn something new on every occasion. We’re fortunate that 3I/ATLAS passed this close to Mars.” The data collected may help determine the size of the comet’s nucleus and provide insights into the particles within its coma.

In addition to the HiRISE images, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured views of 3I/ATLAS using its Mastcam-Z instrument on October 4, 2023. These images depict the comet traveling at approximately 137,000 mph. Moreover, separate observations from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft detected hydrogen gas emissions as the comet approached Mars in late September.

During a livestream event, Kshatriya addressed rumors surrounding the comet’s origins, specifically dismissing a theory proposed by Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb>, which suggested that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien spacecraft. Kshatriya firmly stated, “This object is a comet. It looks and behaves like a comet, and all evidence points towards it being a comet.”