The Psyche spacecraft, operated by NASA, has successfully obtained novel imagery of 3I/ATLAS, which has been identified as the third celestial body and the second confirmed comet originating from beyond our Solar System.
Psyche acquired four observations of 3I/ATLAS over the course of eight hours on September 8 and 9, 2025. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU.
The discovery of 3I/ATLAS was initially made by the ATLAS survey telescope, situated in Rio Hurtado, Chile, on the first day of July, 2025.
This interstellar comet exhibits an orbital path that is the most dynamically unconventional of any celestial object hitherto documented within the Solar System.
Also designated by the identifiers C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) and A11pl3Z, 3I/ATLAS achieved its closest proximity to the Sun on October 30, 2025.
The recently acquired images of this comet were captured during an eight-hour period spanning September 8 and 9, 2025, at a time when 3I/ATLAS was approximately 53 million kilometers (33 million miles) distant from NASA’s Psyche spacecraft.
“These observational data, procured by the mission’s multispectral imager, are instrumental in refining the trajectory of 3I/ATLAS,” stated members of the Psyche mission team in a formal communication.
“The Psyche spacecraft’s multispectral imager is equipped with a dual system of identical cameras, each fitted with specialized filters and telescopic lenses, designed to photograph the surface of the metal-rich asteroid Psyche across a spectrum of light wavelengths.”
“Although the comet 3I/ATLAS was situated at a considerable distance from the spacecraft during these imaging sessions, the imager’s acute sensitivity to the sunlight reflected by the comet facilitated the mission’s capacity to precisely monitor the object’s position.”
Furthermore, these new observations yield supplementary details regarding the faint coma of 3I/ATLAS. The coma, characterized as a dispersed envelope of gas and dust, envelops the comet’s nucleus, which is its central frozen core composed of ice and rock.
“In conjunction with numerous other NASA endeavors, Psyche contributes to the ongoing determination of the comet’s positional data over time, thereby enhancing astronomers’ comprehension of its movement as it traverses the Solar System,” the researchers explained.
“While this comet does not present any hazard to Earth, the space missions undertaken by NASA underscore the agency’s steadfast dedication to identifying, tracking, and improving our understanding of objects within the solar system.”
