A team of astronomers has attempted to track the path of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS back into the past, tracing its path through the galaxy in simulations involving over 13 million stars. On July 1, astronomers spotted an unusual object speeding through the Solar System at nearly twice the velocity of previous interstellar visitors ‘Oumuamua and Comet Borisov. The object was …
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A rare interstellar comet — only the third ever confirmed to enter our solar system — was photographed last week, closely approaching Mars, the European Space Agency said Tuesday. The images taken on Friday by two Mars orbiters show a bright, fuzzy white dot of the comet, also known as 3I/ATLAS, appearing to move against a backdrop of distant stars …
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A European Mars probe witnessed the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS’ Red Planet flyby last week. On Oct. 3, 3I/ATLAS zoomed within 19 million miles (30 million kilometers) of Mars. The European Space Agency‘s (ESA) ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) was ready for the closeup, snapping imagery of the interloper using its Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS). “This was a …
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Two spacecraft on Mars have captured new images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in the closest view that the European Space Agency (ESA) will get of the mysterious object, according to an ESA statement. The comet, which came from an unknown star system far beyond our own, is currently taking a months-long tour of the inner solar system. It made …
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We have known about Comet 3I/ATLAS for just over four months, and astronomers across the world have been giddy with excitement. This is only the third known interstellar object to have crossed the Solar System, among the thousands that should be here every day. Researchers have been using many different observatories to study this comet, and soon it will be …
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Robots, they’re just like us—fascinated by the skies above them and the mysteries they hold. And now, NASA has revealed that its Mars Perseverance rover might have spotted a mysterious visitor from beyond our solar system. A recent photo taken by the rover on Saturday shows a bright streak of light across the Martian sky, which NASA believes may have …
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As predicted, interstellar object 3I/ATLAS came within spitting distance of the surface of Mars as it continued blazing its path through the solar system. The mysterious object, widely believed to be a comet, is only the third object from beyond the solar system to have ever been identified as it cruises through. It’s fascinated scientists ever since it was first …
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NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover caught something unusual streaking across the sky above the Red Planet. On Saturday (Oct. 4), Perseverance’s Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) captured an image of a streak of light in the sky above Mars. The date of the image coincides with when interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was set to make its closest pass to the Red Planet, according …
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The European Space Agency is making use of spacecraft designed for Mars and Jupiter missions to track interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it continues its journey through our solar system. First spotted in July 2025 by an ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in Chile, 3I/ATLAS became the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system. Astronomers identified …
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A comet from another star system will swing by Mars on Friday as a fleet of spacecraft trains its sights on the interstellar visitor. The comet known as 3I/Atlas will hurtle within 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) of the red planet, its closest approach during its trek through the inner solar system. Its breakneck speed: …
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