The JUICE spacecraft captured its first detailed glimpse of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, revealing a glowing coma and sweeping tail.
By taking advantage of a maneuver that would see a spacecraft fire rocket engines while in the solar corona, that spacecraft’s velocity could receive a huge boost — enough to allow it to catch up with 3I/ATLAS, which is the fastest comet ever seen.
The fate of a comet that was predicted to pass close to Earth remains a mystery five years after its dramatic breakup in the inner solar system.
Interstellar comets are the original cosmic explorers, and by studying their metallic whispers, we are learning the secrets of worlds we may never see directly.
New infrared observations reveal that the rare interstellar visitor known as comet 3I/ATLAS has dramatically brightened during its farewell tour of the solar system.
A new comet approaching the sun has caught the attention of astronomers, primarily because of its lineage. It appears to belong to a group of comets that in some cases have briefly become outstandingly bright objects.
The comet broke into pieces after making a close approach around the sun in October 2025.
The interstellar visitor may still have a few things to tell us before it leaves our solar system.
C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) brightened significantly ahead of its close approach to the sun.
3I/ATLAS is heading away from the sun on an escape trajectory from our solar system.
