NASA shares different views of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas as scientists study the object using various space cameras and observatories

​NASA has shared new photos and updates about comet 3I/Atlas, a rare object currently passing through our solar system. This comet is special because it did not come from our solar system. It came from somewhere far away, possibly from another star.

Only two other interstellar objects have ever been seen before, so this is a very unique chance for scientists.

Because this comet is so rare, NASA is utilizing multiple spacecraft and telescopes to observe it. Since its discovery on July 1, twelve NASA missions have already taken pictures of it. More missions will also get a chance to capture it as it continues to move across space.

By examining 3I/Atlas from various angles, NASA aims to understand how it differs from the comets that formed in our own solar system.

NASA’s Mars missions got the closest pictures of the comet

Some of the closest images of 3I/Atlas were captured by NASA missions near Mars. Earlier this fall, the comet passed by Mars at a distance of about 19 million miles. During this time, three NASA spacecraft were able to see it clearly.

• The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) took one of the closest shots of the comet.
• NASA’s MAVEN orbiter captured ultraviolet pictures that help show what materials are in the comet.
• Even the Perseverance rover, sitting on the surface of Mars, was able to catch a faint view of it from the ground.

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These pictures help scientists understand the comet’s shape, color and composition.

Other NASA missions watched the comet near the Sun

Some NASA missions are designed to observe near the Sun, where most normal telescopes cannot operate. This helped NASA track the comet when it moved behind the Sun from Earth’s point of view.

• NASA’s STEREO mission watched the comet from Sept. 11 to Oct. 2.
• The SOHO mission, run by NASA and ESA, saw it from Oct. 15 to Oct. 26.
• NASA’s new PUNCH mission captured the comet’s tail from Sept. 20 to Oct. 3.

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This is the first time these Sun-focused missions have purposely watched an object from another star system.

Asteroid missions also caught the comet during their travels

Two more NASA missions, Psyche and Lucy, are flying through space to study asteroids. While they were traveling, they also turned their cameras toward 3I/Atlas.

• Psyche took four images on Sept. 8 and 9 from a distance of 33 million miles.
• Lucy took pictures on Sept. 16 from 240 million miles away.

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These pictures help scientists understand the comet’s tail, cloud of gas and path.

Comet 3I/Atlas was first discovered by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescope in Chile on July 1. Later, NASA’s Hubble, James Webb and SPHEREx missions also photographed it.

The comet will fly closest to Earth on Dec. 19, at a distance of about 170 million miles. NASA will continue to watch it as it moves past Jupiter’s orbit in spring 2026.