Hubble captures interstellar comet Atlas

NASA and ESA released a sharp image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, a rare visitor speeding through the solar system.

Hubble Captures Interstellar Comet Atlas Visiting Solar System

The Hubble Space Telescope has released its best image yet of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it speeds through the outer solar system at about 130,000 miles per hour. NASA and the European Space Agency say the photo shows a teardrop shaped dust plume around the nucleus and a dusty tail. The object was about 277 million miles from Earth when photographed, and scientists have narrowed the estimated size from several miles to no more than 3.5 miles across, possibly as small as 1,000 feet.

The comet is not headed toward Earth. It will pass closer to Mars and stay outside the planet’s orbit. Its closest approach to the Sun is planned for late October, as it travels between Mars and Earth. It should remain visible to telescopes through September and then reappear after the Sun on the far side by early December.

3I/ATLAS marks only the third known interstellar visitor, following 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov. The new measurements show how data can tighten estimates quickly, shifting ideas about the size and nature of such objects. The object’s dark, reddened surface—reflecting about 5 percent of sunlight—points to a rough, featureless surface with little brightness variation as it rotates, a detail that helps scientists model its composition.

Public interest will grow as more images arrive, but the science remains cautious. Atlas offers a rare chance to study material from another star, and it tests our methods for observing fast-moving, distant rocks. As observers track future interstellar visitors, the experience will shape how researchers plan missions and coordinate global telescope time.

Highlights

The night sky continues to surprise, guiding future questions about distant worlds.