In late 2025, NASA revealed a stunning collection of new images capturing Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system. These images, taken by a fleet of NASA spacecraft spread across the inner solar system, offer an unprecedented glimpse at this rare visitor from beyond our cosmic neighborhood. The release comes after a challenging six-week government shutdown, during which NASA scientists and engineers eagerly awaited the opportunity to monitor and study the comet as it traversed space near Earth.
Comet 3I/ATLAS was first detected on July 1, 2025, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile. Its remarkably high speed—traveling at about 137,000 miles per hour—and unusual trajectory immediately suggested it was not a typical comet originating within our solar system. Instead, it was an interstellar object, only the third such confirmed visitor following the discoveries of 1I/‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. These interstellar objects are of immense interest to astronomers because they carry valuable information about other planetary systems and the nature of materials beyond our sun’s influence.
NASA’s latest images of 3I/ATLAS come from a diverse array of missions, including planetary science spacecraft and sun-observing probes. Notable contributors include the Mars Perseverance rover, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter, the Psyche and Lucy asteroid missions, and the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH) spacecraft designed to study the sun. This coordinated effort across multiple platforms highlights NASA’s extensive observational capabilities and strategic readiness to seize fleeting scientific opportunities, even amid operational disruptions.
One particularly striking image, taken by MAVEN’s Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph on October 9, 2025, shows the comet’s coma—a halo of gas and dust surrounding its nucleus. This ultraviolet image reveals the chemical composition of the comet’s atmosphere, spotlighting atoms of hydrogen released as sunlight heats the comet’s water ice, transforming it directly into vapor. This process, known as sublimation, causes water molecules to break apart into oxygen and hydrogen atoms, which then stream away from the comet into space. The bright pixel at the center of the image marks the comet itself, surrounded by these glowing hydrogen atoms.
Further insights come from images captured by the Mastcam-Z instrument aboard the Perseverance rover on October 4, 2025. From its vantage point on Mars, the rover observed 3I/ATLAS as a faint smudge against a field of stars, with the comet located approximately 18.6 million miles away. This observation adds a unique planetary perspective to the comet’s study, underscoring the interconnectedness of NASA’s missions across different celestial bodies.
Scientists have already gleaned intriguing clues about 3I/ATLAS’s composition and origin. Early observations indicate the comet is unusually rich in carbon dioxide, with much of this material buried beneath its surface. This suggests that 3I/ATLAS likely formed in a colder environment, farther from its parent star than typical comets in our solar system. The comet may have undergone warming phases either from its own star or from a nearby star before venturing into interstellar space and ultimately arriving in our solar system. Such findings provide important context for understanding the diversity of planetary systems and the conditions under which cometary bodies form and evolve.
The discovery and study of 3I/ATLAS have galvanized the astronomical community. Karen Meech, a planetary astronomer at the University of Hawaii, emphasized the significance of these interstellar visitors, noting how every observation opportunity is precious and prompts scientists worldwide to pause their regular work to focus on these rare events. This collective effort underscores the excitement and urgency surrounding the study of interstellar objects, which offer a fleeting chance to learn about materials and processes beyond our solar system.
Looking ahead, NASA plans to continue monitoring Comet 3I/ATLAS as it moves away from the sun and exits the solar system. Notably, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is scheduled to attempt additional observations in December 2025. Given JWST’s unparalleled sensitivity and advanced instrumentation, it is expected to be the last NASA mission capable of capturing data on this comet during its outbound journey. Scientists hope these future observations will deepen our understanding