Space Exploration
Dec 29, 2025
The moon and sun figure big in the new year's lineup of cosmic wonders
The moon and sun share top billing in 2026.
Search results for 3i atlas
Astronomy
Dec 18, 2025
Comet 3I/ATLAS: Europa Clipper captures rare ultraviolet view
The Southwest Research Institute-led Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) aboard NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft has made valuable observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which in July became the third officially recognized ...
Astronomy
Dec 16, 2025
PUNCH mission spacecraft producing unprecedented images of Sun
After less than a year in orbit, the Southwest Research Institute-built PUNCH spacecraft have made major accomplishments, imaging the sun in context while tracking comets and enormous space weather events as they traveled ...
Astronomy
Dec 15, 2025
XMM-Newton sees comet 3I/ATLAS in X-ray light
The European Space Agency's X-ray space observatory XMM-Newton observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on 3 December for around 20 hours. During that time, the comet was about 282–285 million km from the spacecraft.
Planetary Sciences
Dec 15, 2025
Interstellar comet keeps its distance as it makes its closest approach to Earth
A stray comet from another star swings past Earth this week in one last hurrah before racing back toward interstellar space.
Astronomy
Dec 15, 2025
Hubble catches another glimpse of 3I/ATLAS
On July 1st, 2025, the third interstellar object (ISO) ever detected was seen making its way through our solar system. Shortly after being alerted by automated detection systems, astronomers at the European Space Agency (ESA) ...
Planetary Sciences
Dec 12, 2025
Comet 3I/ATLAS displays greenish hue in new Gemini North telescope images
Gemini North captured new images of Comet 3I/ATLAS after it reemerged from behind the sun on its path out of the solar system. The data were collected during a Shadow the Scientists session—a unique outreach initiative that ...
Space Exploration
Dec 4, 2025
A blueprint for visiting an interstellar comet
Sometime in 2029, the European Space Agency is scheduled to launch its Comet Interceptor Mission. The Interceptor will wait for a long-period comet to arrive in the inner solar system then set off on a trajectory to rendezvous ...
Astronomy
Dec 3, 2025
How to catch a comet that hasn't been discovered yet
There's been a lot of speculation recently about interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS—much of which is probably caused by low-quality data given that we have to observe it from either Earth, or in some cases, Mars. In either case, ...
Space Exploration
Dec 3, 2025
Interstellar object covered in 'icy volcanoes' could rewrite our understanding of how comets formed
Analysis of the second confirmed interstellar comet to visit our solar system suggests that the alien body could be covered in erupting icy, volcano-like structures called cryovolcanoes. Researchers also discovered that the ...
