Astronomy Picture of the Day - Interstellar Interloper 3I/ATLAS from Hubble

NASA ^ | 9 Aug, 2025 | Image Credit: NASA, ESA, David Jewitt (UCLA) et al. - Processing; Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Discovered on July 1 with the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, 3I/ATLAS is so designated as the third known interstellar object to pass through our Solar System. It follows 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and the comet 2I/Borisov in 2019. Also known as C/2025 N1, 3I/ATLAS is a comet. A teardrop-shaped cloud of dust, ejected from its icy nucleus warmed by increasing sunlight, is seen in this sharp image from the Hubble Space Telescope captured on July 21. Background stars are streaked in the exposure as Hubble tracked the fastest comet ever recorded on its journey toward the inner solar system. An analysis of the Hubble image indicates the solid nucleus, hidden from direct view, is likely less that 5.6 kilometers in diameter. This comet's interstellar origin is clear from its orbit, determined to be an eccentric, highly hyperbolic orbit that does not loop back around the Sun and will return 3I/ATLAS to interstellar space. Not a threat to planet Earth, the inbound interstellar interloper is now within the Jupiter's orbital distance of the Sun, while its closest approach to the Sun will bring it just inside the orbital distance of Mars.

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TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; nasa

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[Openurmind]

The closer it gets to the sun the longer the tail is going to get...

[Dacula]

Thank you for faithfully posting your Astronomy Picture of the Day. I always look forward to your pings.

[Larry Lucido]

Maybe it's delivering pastrami. Can Hubble check for that?

[MtnClimber]

Thank you. Glad to know some are watching!

[fruser1]

It has an interesting trajectory, coming in only slightly off the plane of the ecliptic and gets real close to Mars and Jupiter.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d0/3I_ATLAS_animation2.webm/3I_ATLAS_animation2.webm.720p.vp9.webm

[GaltAdonis]

That’s a long trip just to deliver pastrami. The stuff can’t be fresh, it’s gotta be frozen.

[telescope115]

3I/Atlas was discovered on July 1st. In the movie Independence Day, the aliens showed up on July 2nd. Coincidence?…… When I first saw the movie, I thought to myself, “ it figures….”

July 2nd is my birthday….

[Dacula]

I look forward to your posts everyday. Yes, I do!

[MtnClimber]

Thank you!