Hubble clicks first pictures of interstellar comet invading our Solar System
Astronomers worldwide have been eagerly awaiting these images. (Photo: Nasa)
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Despite a few streaks caused by cosmic rays, high-energy particles that frequently strike Hubble's instruments, the overall quality of the images is high. Scientists say these minor interferences do not obscure the details of the comet's spectacular appearance.Discovered earlier this year by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), 3I/ATLAS is believed to have originated from a distant planetary system beyond our own. Its hyperbolic trajectory confirms it is not gravitationally bound to the Sun, making its current passage a fleeting but crucial opportunity for study.Researchers hope that ongoing observations will shed light on the composition, structure, and behavior of interstellar objects — and perhaps reveal clues about planetary systems beyond our own.Hubble Space Telescope images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS are out! These were taken 5 hours ago. Plenty of cosmic rays peppering the images, but the comet's coma looks very nice and puffy. Best of luck to the researchers trying to write up papers for this... archive.stsci.edu/proposal_sea...[image or embed]— astrafoxen (@astrafoxen.bsky.social) July 22, 2025 at 2:58 AMScientists operating the high-altitude observatories of Hanle, Ladakh, had recently successfully photographed the interstellar comet C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), also known as 3I/ATLAS, as it races through the Solar System.Astronomers note that the comet's hyperbolic orbit, with an eccentricity of approximately 6.2, and its initial high speed are clear signatures of its interstellar origin.These parameters confirm that it entered the Solar System with much more energy than could be accounted for by the Sun's gravity alone.- Ends
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