British News Agency

The comet was first discovered on July 1, 2025, by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope located in Chile. The images were taken on October 21, 2025, when 3I/ATLAS approached solar conjunction — the period when the Sun is positioned on the opposite side of the Earth.

In a statement, NASA said: “NASA is conducting an unprecedented observation campaign across the solar system, directing spacecraft and telescopes to track comet 3I/ATLAS — the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system. Since its initial discovery on July 1, twelve NASA spacecraft have captured and processed images of the comet. As the comet continues its passage through our system, several additional spacecraft will also have the opportunity to obtain further images.”

By observing the comet from so many different vantage points, NASA is gaining the opportunity to learn how 3I/ATLAS differs from comets in our solar system and to provide scientists with new insight into how the composition of other planetary systems may differ from our own.

According to NASA, the closest images of the comet were taken by NASA’s spacecraft on Mars. Earlier this fall, 3I/ATLAS passed within 19 million miles of Mars and was observed by three NASA spacecraft. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) captured one of the closest views, while the MAVEN orbiter obtained ultraviolet images that help scientists understand the comet’s structure. Meanwhile, the Perseverance rover captured a faint image from the Martian surface.