Any object that we discover from outside the solar system “is a new piece of the puzzle,” Statler said, in terms of understanding how planetary systems form and develop. They are like “frozen fossils,” he said.
The long-awaited images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HIRISE), whose release was delayed due to the government shutdown, can now be used to refine the size of the comet’s nucleus. Results will have to await further analysis, according to scientists at the press conference. Meanwhile, images taken by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft, also at Mars, “truly are incredible,” said Shannon Curry (University of Colorado, Boulder) in a NASA release.
Update 08 November 2025
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS set a new first in its class on 4th November. The Meerkat radio detected a signal coming from the comet in the 1600 MHz range. Moreover, the natural signal had notches at 1665 MHz and 1667 MHz, which occur due to OH absorption. The detection is the first time a radio spectrum of an interstellar object has been obtained.
Astronomers have been left stunned by the sudden surge from comet 3I/ATLAS, a rare interstellar traveler now making a close pass around the Sun. In a matter of weeks, it has transformed from a faint object into a dazzling spectacle, brightening far more rapidly than experts had anticipated
Key Facts Discovery Date July 1st, 2025 Estimated Size 1 km diameter Current Speed 65.9 km/s
Origin Direction Constellation Sagittarius
