The Hubble Area Telescope has caught its first glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS. The comet is simply the third object humanity has noticed getting into the photo voltaic system from past its limits.
Previous to 3I/ATLAS, the earlier two “interstellar invaders” had been 1I/’Oumuamua, noticed in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, detected in 2019. Each have now left the photo voltaic system, although different interstellar our bodies are predicted to dwell undetected in our cosmic yard.
As Area.com reported on July 11, latest analysis recommended that 3I/ATLAS may very well be much more thrilling than initially perceived, as its trajectory by means of the photo voltaic system signifies it comes from a area of the Milky Manner older than our 4.6 billion-year-old photo voltaic system. With an estimated age of seven billion years, that may make 3I/ATLAS the oldest comet we have ever seen.
Astrophysics undergrad pupil astrafoxen alerted his followers to the Hubble pictures of 3I/ATLAS by way of this Bluesky feed.
“Hubble Area Telescope pictures of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS are out! These had been taken 5 hours in the past. Loads of cosmic rays peppering the pictures, however the comet’s coma seems very good and puffy. Better of luck to the researchers attempting to write down up papers for this… ” the put up reads.
Hubble Area Telescope pictures of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS are out! These had been taken 5 hours in the past. Loads of cosmic rays peppering the pictures, however the comet’s coma seems very good and puffy. Better of luck to the researchers attempting to write down up papers for this… archive.stsci.edu/proposal_sea… 🔭
— @astrafoxen.bsky.social (@astrafoxen.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-07-22T09:45:35.680Z
One such paper is already accessible, albeit as a preprint. Describing optical and near-infrared spectroscopy carried out on 3I/ATLAS, the analysis reveals that: “3I/ATLAS is an energetic interstellar comet containing considerable water ice, with a mud composition extra much like D-type asteroids than to ultrared trans-Neptunian objects.”
D-type asteroids are house rocks filled with natural molecule-rich silicates and carbon with water ice of their interiors.
The arrival of 3I/ATLAS into the photo voltaic system has initiated an thrilling interval for astronomers. For the reason that photo voltaic system interloper was noticed on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope, an array of different devices have tried to get in on the act by recognizing the comet.
One challenge that can be attempting to get an excellent have a look at 3I/ATLAS is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which observes the universe close to and much with the biggest digital digital camera ever constructed. That’s becoming, because the comet from past the photo voltaic system was truly first noticed as scientists had been getting ready to make observations with Rubin.
The brand new observatory, which launched its first pictures of the cosmos on June 23, 2025, is predicted to find between 5 and 50 interstellar objects as they zip by means of the photo voltaic system throughout the observatory’s decade-long Legacy Survey of Area and Time (LSST).
Within the meantime, 3I/ATLAS can benefit from the undivided consideration of astronomers aiming to check interstellar our bodies with a view to portray an intimate image of planetary programs past our personal.
The Hubble pictures of 3I/ATLAS can be found to obtain from this database.
