The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1), discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile, is the third confirmed interstellar object to enter our solar system. Recent observations, including the sharpest images captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, reveal that 3I/ATLAS is traveling at approximately 130,000 miles per hour (209,215 km/h or 58 km/s). The comet exhibits a compact coma and a vivid tail, indicating an icy core with a size estimated between 320 meters and 5.6 kilometers, which is smaller than initially thought. Analysis suggests that 3I/ATLAS resembles comets originating from the outer reaches of our solar system. Ground-based telescopes are expected to continue observing the comet until September, after which it will become obscured by solar glare. NASA has clarified that 3I/ATLAS is not an extraterrestrial spacecraft but a natural comet with an icy nucleus and coma. The detailed imagery and data from Hubble and other observatories provide new insights into the comet's origin and composition as it travels through the solar system.
Un gigante errante y caótico intriga a la NASA: El enigma de SIMP 0136 https://t.co/MODBDMZUoj
A Third Interstellar Visitor Has Entered Our Solar System! Officially designated 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1), this incredible object marks the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected in our Solar System. First spotted on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile, https://t.co/3lDMvTx0y3
Hubble spotted an unusual star 128 light-years away. With its unique ultraviolet capabilities, Hubble determined this star is a rare ultramassive white dwarf, made up of merged stars: https://t.co/2Hp1LBjUBC Find out more about this star's intriguing atmosphere in this video ⬇️ https://t.co/k5Bzy1LSE0