Mars and Jupiter Probes to Track Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS as it Speeds Past the Sun This Month
Tracking Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: European and NASA Spacecraft Join Forces
ESA and NASA Gear Up to Observe 3I/ATLAS
The European Space Agency (ESA) is leveraging its Mars and Jupiter mission spacecraft to track the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it journeys through our solar system. Initially detected in July 2025 by an ATLAS telescope in Chile, this comet marks the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar territory. Its extrasolar origin was deduced from its unique trajectory, not conforming to a closed orbit around the sun, and a velocity of approximately 130,000 mph (219,000 km/h).
Observations from Key Space Missions
Astronomers project that 3I/ATLAS will remain visible to ground-based telescopes until September 2025, before its path leads it too close to the sun, eventually placing it behind the sun from Earth’s viewpoint. Despite the limited observation window, ESA and NASA’s spacecraft are poised to monitor the comet in real-time from beyond Earth’s perspective. Positioned on the sun-facing side of the comet’s path, these spacecraft will continue their observations beyond Earth’s reach.
During early October, ESA’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will survey the comet as it approaches Mars, with the closest distance being 30 million km on October 3. Meanwhile, NASA’s Psyche mission, en route to asteroid 16 Psyche in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, will also capture observations.
Juice Mission’s Crucial Role
From November 2 to 25, ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will focus its instruments on 3I/ATLAS shortly after it reaches perihelion, its nearest point to the sun. This period is critical as solar heat activates the comet, causing its ices to vaporize and stream into space. According to T. Marshall Eubanks, Chief Scientist at Space Initiatives Inc, Juice’s data during this phase is expected to be highly significant.
Scientific Insights from Solar Heating
Observing 3I/ATLAS near perihelion is anticipated to provide the most valuable insights into the comet’s chemical composition and activity. At this stage, the sun’s radiation will interact with the core’s ice, leading to vaporization and subsequent eruptions from the comet’s surface. The nucleus of the comet will be enveloped in a luminous halo of gas and dust, with a lengthy tail streaming behind.
This unique opportunity will allow astronomers to assess the comet’s full composition through the released gases and dust, offering a chemical fingerprint of 3I/ATLAS. Such comparative studies may reveal whether cometary components are universal across planetary systems or unique to their respective star systems.
Astronomy Insights Await
The observation of 3I/ATLAS presents a remarkable chance for the astronomy community to unravel the complexities of interstellar comets. The data garnered could provide pivotal insights into the building blocks of planetary systems, encouraging further exploration of our galaxy’s mysteries.
