Over 120 Images Of Interstellar Comet Captured By Jupiter Spacecraft. 3/ATLAS Revealed Like Never Before

The European Space Agency has launched a brand new picture of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured by one of its spacecraft on the best way to Jupiter.

The picture was captured when the comet was near the Sun, revealing mud and fuel.

In the picture, scientists noticed a vivid halo of fuel surrounding the comet’s head, generally known as the coma.

A protracted tail is seen too, together with rays, jets streams and filaments emanating from 3I/ATLAS.

International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/B. Bolin. Image Processing: J. Miller & M. Rodriguez (International Gemini Observatory/NSF NOIRLab), TA Rector (University of Alaska Anchorage/NSF NOIRLab), M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)

Juice’s science images of 3I/ATLAS

The picture was captured by the European Space Agency’s juice spacecraftwhich is on its option to Jupiter to check the fuel large’s icy moons.

Some of Jupiter’s largest icy moons include a liquid ocean beneath their frozen crust, and are subsequently among the best places to look for signs of life beyond Earth.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet that was discovered passing by our Solar System on July 1, 2025.

It’s the oldest comet ever found, most likely even older than our personal Sun.

It fashioned past our Solar System in one other half of the Galaxy – making it an interstellar comet – and is merely passing by our cosmic neighborhood.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is one of solely three such objects ever found.

The picture right here was captured by the Juice spacecraft’s science digicam, named JANUS, on 6 November 2025, seven days after the comet made its closest strategy to the Sun.

At the time the picture was taken, Juice was about 66 million km away from the comet.

The picture follows a previous image of 3I/ATLAS by Juice released in November 2025. That picture was captured with Juice’s Navigation Camera, whose major function is enabling the spacecraft to navigate the Jovian system.

This time, nevertheless, Juice was in a position to make use of his science digicam, giving mission scientists the prospect to collect key knowledge on the interstellar comet.

In the JANUS picture beneath, arrows have been added to point out the route the comet was transferring (blue) and the route of the Sun (yellow).

The inset picture reveals the identical knowledge, however processed to spotlight the coma construction.

Image of comet 3I/ATLAS on 6 November 2025, captured by ESA's Juice spacecraft's JANUS science camera. Credit: ESA/Juice/JANUS — Image of comet 3I/ATLAS on 6 November 2025, captured by ESA’s Juice spacecraft’s JANUS science digicam. Credit: ESA/Juice/JANUS

Juice’s comet observations

During November 2025, scientists say Juice used 5 of its science devices to look at 3I/ATLAS, particularly its JANUS, MAJIS, SWI, PEP and UVS devices.

The knowledge acquired helps scientists perceive what the comet is made of and the way it behaved because it bought nearer to the Sun and heated up.

After its observations, Juice was on the other aspect of the Sun to Earth, shielding itself from the warmth and subsequently not capable of ship knowledge again to Earth as shortly.

The science groups needed to wait till late February to obtain Juice’s 3I/ATLAS knowledge.

JANUS took over 120 images of 3I/ATLAS throughout a big wavelength vary.

MAJIS and UVS gathered spectrometry knowledge, utilizing mild to disclose extra concerning the comet’s chemical composition.

SWI gathered knowledge on the comet’s composition and PEP captured particle knowledge.

The European Space Agency says its science groups are nonetheless engaged on Juice’s 3I/ATLAS knowledge, and there might be many extra discoveries to return.