in a rare celestial event, NASA’s Europa clipper spacecraft has captured a new image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, offering a unique opportunity to study an object originating outside our solar system. The observation, taken during the spacecraft’s ongoing journey to Jupiter, allows scientists to analyze the comet’s composition and gather insights into the building blocks of planetary systems beyond our own. This data, collected via ultraviolet spectrography, reveals details undetectable through conventional observation methods, furthering our understanding of these ancient cosmic travelers.
NASA has released a new image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured by the Europa Clipper spacecraft during its journey to Jupiter. The image provides scientists with a unique opportunity to study a comet originating outside our solar system, offering clues about the formation and evolution of planetary systems beyond our own.
The observation was taken on November 6, 2025, when the spacecraft was approximately 102 million miles (164 million kilometers) from the comet. NASA processed the data before releasing the image in December, revealing gases and chemical elements that are difficult to detect through conventional observation methods.
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Scientific Observation During Jupiter Mission
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Launched in October 2024, Europa Clipper is primarily designed to study Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons, with the formal mission phase beginning in 2030. However, with its instruments already operational, scientists took the opportunity during the transit phase to focus on comet 3I/ATLAS, an object originating from beyond our solar system.
What the Ultraviolet Image Reveals
The photograph was captured using the Europa-UVS instrument, an ultraviolet spectrograph designed to analyze wavelengths invisible to the human eye. According to information cited by ‘BBC Sky Night Magazine’, the capture spanned seven continuous hours, allowing researchers to study the composition of the comet’s coma – the cloud of gas and dust surrounding the nucleus.
The photograph was obtained with the Europa-UVS instrument, an ultraviolet spectrograph Photo:Nasa
This type of analysis enables the identification of primitive materials not typically visible in traditional optical images, providing valuable data on the origin and evolution of interstellar bodies.
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A Comet Older Than the Sun
Comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025, and is notable for not having formed within our solar system. Astronomers estimate it has traveled through space for approximately 7 billion years, potentially making it the oldest comet ever observed – even predating the Sun itself.
Its Trajectory After the Earth Approach
On December 19, 2025, the comet made a relatively close approach to Earth without posing any danger. Following this event, it began to move away from the Sun, gradually decreasing in activity and brightness – a typical pattern for these types of objects.
The comet’s next significant milestone will be its approach to Jupiter, anticipated in March 2026. Jupiter’s strong gravity could slightly alter its trajectory, a phenomenon scientists will monitor before 3I/ATLAS continues its journey into interstellar space.
El Comercio (Perú) / GDA.
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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from El Comercio (GDA), and was reviewed by a journalist and an editor.
