ISRO captures rare and close-up image of fast-moving interstellar comet 3I/Atlas as scientists continue tracking its path

ISRO has released a rare, close-up view of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS from its 1.2-meter Mount Abu telescope, pairing imaging with spectroscopy to show a compact, near-circular coma consistent with a typical comet despite its hyperbolic path. ISRO’s Physical Research Laboratory captured false-colour frames and a dawn spectrum that help scientists tighten models of the coma and compare activity seen from other vantage points.

In parallel, NASA has posted a multi-mission roundup that includes a Hubble morphology image, Mars-side observations from MRO’s HiRISE and MAVEN, and new heliophysics views from STEREO, SOHO, and PUNCH.

Together, these datasets let researchers refine the trajectory and account for small outgassing pushes known as non-gravitational accelerations.

The emerging picture is steady and data-rich rather than dramatic. JWST spectra point to a CO₂-heavy mix, while ISRO’s measurements align with the comet behaving like a normal, active body on a safe pass through the inner solar system.

Astronomers will keep adding pieces as more calibrated products arrive.

ISRO’s Mount Abu close-up, what the image shows and why it matters

ISRO and PRL report that the Mount Abu campaign combined imaging and spectroscopy during November 12–15, producing a false-color image and a flux-normalized spectrum before morning twilight.

The team notes a near-circular coma and classic molecular bands that mark active comets. As per the ISRO post dated November 19, 2025, the agency stated,

“The images show a near-circular coma...The result shows prominent emission features commonly seen in Solar system comets - the CN, C2 and C3 bands in the shorter wavelength side of the spectrum”

These details establish that 3I/ATLAS is outgassing in familiar ways even as it races along a hyperbolic path, letting modelers estimate production rates and compare them with space-based measurements.

ISRO adds that computed production-rate ratios “place this comet in the class of ‘typical comets’” and that observations will continue as the object moves into darker night skies, extending a cadence that ground facilities are best placed to maintain.

In practical terms, ISRO’s steady snapshots are the glue that helps reconcile what different instruments see at different times and wavelengths.

The global picture: Hubble, JWST chemistry, and Mars-orbiter close-ups

Hubble’s July image resolved a teardrop-shaped dust cocoon streaming from the nucleus, offering constraints on size and shape that feed into later analyses.

JWST’s early-inbound spectrum detected a CO₂-dominated coma with water, CO, OCS, water ice, and dust, implying an unusually high CO₂ to H₂O ratio compared with many solar-system comets.

These results frame 3I/ATLAS as chemically interesting while still behaving like a comet.

NASA has since assembled a cross-mission set that tracks the object through difficult geometry, including Mars-side views when Earth telescopes were hampered by solar glare.

As per a NASA Science article dated November 19, 2025,

“Twelve NASA assets have captured and processed imagery of the comet,”

spanning HiRISE close-ups, MAVEN ultraviolet hydrogen images, Perseverance surface frames, and heliophysics movies of the tail from STEREO, SOHO, and PUNCH.

The University of Arizona’s HiRISE release adds clear context from Mars’s vantage: as per the HiRISE caption dated November 19, 2025, “we can clearly see the coma,” even though the small nucleus cannot be resolved at 30 km per pixel.

What scientists are saying about its path, activity, and what’s next

NASA emphasizes that 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet on a safe pass, with a mid-December Earth approach distance near 170 million miles and continued monitoring planned by multiple missions.

According to NASA's media advisory dated November 17, 2025, the agency noted that the object “poses no threat to Earth” and highlighted a broad lineup of missions contributing imagery and spectra.

At a November 19 briefing covered by Reuters, NASA’s Nicky Fox stated,

“We were quick to be able to say, ‘Yup, it definitely behaves like a comet’,”

underscoring that activity and appearance match expectations. Reuters also quotes NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya saying,

“This object is a comet. It looks and behaves like a comet.”

Those statements align with ISRO’s production-rate context and JWST’s chemistry: normal comet physics, unusual CO₂ richness, and small outgassing nudges that are modelled into the orbit solutions.

The near-term plan is straightforward science. ISRO will continue to collect ground data, NASA assets will provide calibrated image sets, and teams will compare coma profiles and dust-to-gas behaviour as the comet recedes.

Stay tuned for more updates.

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