Kathrine Frich
A rare visitor from beyond the Solar System is about to take center stage again as NASA prepares to show its most detailed images yet.
Scientists have been tracking 3I/ATLAS for months, waiting for the moment when its activity peaks.
Now, after disappearing behind the Sun, the comet is about to be revealed in a whole new light.
New images incoming
ScienceAlert reports that NASA will release a large set of observations of 3I/ATLAS during a broadcast on Wednesday, November 19 at 20:00 UTC.
The images have been collected by ground-based observatories and spacecraft supported by the agency.
The event will stream on YouTube and through NASA’s usual platforms.
While the agency has not confirmed every instrument involved, researchers expect contributions from Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope and orbiters around Mars.
Telescopes including ATLAS and Gemini may also have captured the comet from Earth.
A rare interstellar visitor
3I/ATLAS was first detected in July 2025 and quickly gained attention as only the third confirmed object to enter our Solar System from interstellar space.
After its discovery, scientists monitored its path as it moved behind the Sun on October 21.
The comet reached perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on October 29 before reappearing in early November.
Comets typically release gas and dust as they approach the Sun.
This process creates the bright coma and distinctive tails that form when the solar heat causes ice to sublimate. These phenomena are most intense around perihelion.
Observations from Mars
Because the comet was behind the Sun during this phase, Earth-based telescopes were unable to capture the peak activity.
However, 3I/ATLAS passed close to Mars at the same time, prompting hopes that instruments orbiting the planet recorded the event.
According to the European Space Agency, some Mars-based observations have already been collected.
NASA noted that “Assets within NASA’s science missions give the United States the unique capability to observe 3I/ATLAS almost the entire time it passes through our celestial neighborhood, and study with complementary scientific instruments and from different directions how the comet behaves.”
Closer to Earth next month
The comet will continue to draw attention until it moves out of view. Researchers say the most promising ground-based observations are still ahead.
On December 19, 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth at approximately 270 million kilometers, giving astronomers their clearest opportunity to study it from home.
Until then, scientists and space enthusiasts will be watching NASA’s upcoming release closely through NASA+, NASA Live, the agency’s YouTube channel and the NASA app.
This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation
