China’s Tianwen 1 Mars Probe Captures Stunning Images of Comet 3I/ATLAS

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China’s Tianwen 1 Mars Probe Captures Stunning Images of Comet 3I/ATLAS

China’s Tianwen 1 Mars probe recently captured remarkable images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. This close encounter occurred as the comet passed by Mars, contributing to global research on this rare celestial body.

About Comet 3I/ATLAS

3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object to enter our solar system. The previous encounters were with ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. This unique comet is believed to be older than our solar system itself.

Global Efforts to Study 3I/ATLAS

Space agencies worldwide have collaborated to study this interstellar visitor. Various spacecraft across the solar system have been directed towards the comet to collect data. Notably, NASA and the European Space Agency utilized their Mars missions, including rovers, to observe 3I/ATLAS during its close approach in early October.

Tianwen 1’s Imaging Mission

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) confirmed that the Tianwen 1 spacecraft successfully imaged 3I/ATLAS between October 1 and October 4. The spacecraft provided visuals of the comet’s trajectory, along with a detailed image taken on October 3.

Technical Aspects of the Imaging

Tianwen 1 employed a High-Resolution Imaging Camera (HiRIC) for capturing images.
The camera operates at a resolution comparable, but slightly inferior, to NASA’s HiRISE camera.
Despite the challenges of tracking a faint comet from about 18 million miles (28.96 million kilometers) away, the mission proved successful.

The comet travels at an astonishing speed of 129,800 mph (58 km/s) and measures approximately 3.5 miles (5.6 km) in width. CNSA reported on November 5 that the high-resolution images revealed the comet’s nucleus and surrounding coma, which span several thousand kilometers.

Significance of the Imaging Project

This imaging project is an integral part of Tianwen 1’s mission. It allows for technical experimentation and provides valuable experience for future missions, including Tianwen 2. Launched in May 2023, Tianwen 2 is currently en route to sample a near-Earth asteroid.