Over 120 photographs of interstellar comet captured by Jupiter spacecraft. 3/ATLAS revealed like by no means earlier than

The European Space Agency has launched a brand new picture of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, captured by considered one of its spacecraft on the best way to Jupiter.

The picture was captured when the comet was near the Sun, spewing out mud and fuel.

In the picture, scientists noticed a vivid halo of fuel surrounding the comet’s head, often known as the coma.

A protracted tail is seen too, together with rays, jets streams and filaments emanating from 3I/ATLAS.

Juice’s science photographs of 3I/ATLAS

The picture was captured by the European Space Agency’s Juice spacecraft, which is on its option to Jupiter to check the fuel big’s icy moons.

Some of Jupiter’s largest icy moons comprise a liquid ocean beneath their frozen crust, and are subsequently among the many greatest locations to search for indicators of life past Earth.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet that was found passing by means of our Solar System on 1 July 2025.

It’s the oldest comet ever found, seemingly even older than our personal Sun.

It shaped past our Solar System in one other a part of the Galaxy – making it an interstellar comet – and is merely passing by means of our cosmic neighbourhood.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is considered one of solely three such objects ever found.

The picture right here was captured by the Juice spacecraft’s science digital camera, named JANUS, on 6 November 2025, seven days after the comet made its closest strategy to the Sun.

At the time the picture was taken, Juice was about 66 million km away from the comet.

The picture follows a earlier picture of 3I/ATLAS by Juice launched in November 2025. That picture was captured with Juice’s Navigation Camera, whose major objective is enabling the spacecraft to navigate the Jovian system.

This time, nonetheless, Juice was ready to make use of its science digital camera, giving mission scientists the prospect to collect key knowledge on the interstellar comet.

In the JANUS picture under, arrows have been added to point out the route the comet was shifting (blue) and the route of the Sun (yellow).

The inset picture reveals the identical knowledge, however processed to focus on the coma construction.

Juice’s comet observations

During November 2025, scientists say Juice used 5 of its science devices to look at 3I/ATLAS, particularly its JANUS, MAJIS, SWI, PEP and UVS devices.

The knowledge acquired helps scientists perceive what the comet is made from and the way it behaved because it obtained nearer to the Sun and heated up.

After its observations, Juice was on the other facet of the Sun to Earth, shielding itself from the warmth and subsequently not in a position to ship knowledge again to Earth as shortly.

The science groups needed to wait till late February to obtain Juice’s 3I/ATLAS knowledge.

JANUS took over 120 photographs of 3I/ATLAS throughout a big wavelength vary.

MAJIS and UVS gathered spectrometry knowledge, utilizing mild to disclose extra concerning the comet’s chemical composition.

SWI gathered knowledge on the comet’s composition and PEP captured particle knowledge.

The European Space Agency says its science groups are nonetheless engaged on Juice’s 3I/ATLAS knowledge, and there might be many extra discoveries to return.