NASA has unveiled stunning imagery of an interstellar comet passing through our solar system. Referred to as 3I/Atlas, this comet marks only the third confirmed object to venture into our solar system from another star. The space agency showcased these images during a press briefing held on Wednesday.
Multiple NASA spacecraft near Mars captured visuals of the comet’s journey through space, coming within approximately 18 million miles of the spacecraft. Currently positioned about 190 million miles away from Earth, the comet is set to approach as close as 167 million miles in mid-December before swiftly returning to interstellar space.
Gianluca Masi from the Virtual Telescope Project also observed and zoomed in on the comet, first sighted this summer, during a session from Italy today. It is possible to view the comet from Earth in the early morning sky using binoculars.
Tom Statler, the lead scientist for solar system small bodies at NASA, mentioned that the images remain predominantly unprocessed and hold significant observations that the scientific community will scrutinize in the years to come.
Named after the telescope in Chile that initially detected it, 31/Atlas has sparked online conspiracy theories, with some speculating it may be a spacecraft. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb initially raised this possibility but later acknowledged in late October on Medium that the object is most likely a natural comet.
Despite the speculation, including celebrity Kim Kardashian’s inquiry to NASA Acting Administrator Sean Duffy about the comet, Duffy, appointed by President Donald Trump, confirmed that there are no aliens or threats posed to Earth by 3I/Atlas.
During the recent press conference, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya dispelled rumors concerning 3I/Atlas’ origins, emphasizing that all indications point to it being a naturally occurring comet from another star system.
The European Space Agency’s Juice spacecraft has been focusing its cameras and instruments on the comet throughout the month, anticipating a highly active state. However, due to the spacecraft’s main antenna serving as a heat shield in proximity to the Sun, data transmission limitations are expected, delaying the receipt of observations until February, as outlined by the agency.