Discovered only a week ago, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is showing a distinct coma. Given its position with respect to the Earth, a tail would likely be pointing away from us. However, if you look real close, it looks like there may be a faint something at the 4-5 o’clock position.
The comet will be observable for several months, making its closest approach to Earth in late October 2025 – if it has a tail, it should become more visible as our viewing angle to the comet changes.
About the Cover Image: ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT) has obtained new images of 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object discovered last week. Identified as a comet, 3I/ATLAS is only the third visitor from outside the Solar System ever found, after 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov. Its highly eccentric hyperbolic orbit, unlike that of objects in the Solar System, gave away its interstellar origin.
This VLT image is the result of stacking several observations obtained on the night of 3 July 2025. When combining the different frames, the background stars were removed, showing only a deep image of the interstellar comet. The data were obtained with the FORS2 instrument, and are available in the ESO archive.
Related:
3I/ATLAS: The IAC is monitoring closely the third interstellar object detected in the Solar System
Interstellar comet hurtling through solar system named 3I/ATLAS
VLT Captures New Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
NASA Comet Facts
