The Hubble Space Telescope has returned a new portrait of comet 3I/ATLASan image capable of showing unprecedented details as the interstellar object continues its journey towards its closest approach to Earth. Taken on November 30 with the Wide Field Camera 3, the photograph shows it about 286 million kilometers from our planet, with the stars in the background elongated in bright trails due to the movement of the comet traced by the telescope.
Hubble updates months of observations on 3I/ATLAS with a sharper shot
Hubble had been among the first to capture an image of 3I/ATLAS immediately after its discovery last July. At the time the object was beyond the orbit of Mars, but that bluish spot had already allowed astronomers to estimate its size between 440 meters and 5.6 kilometers, making it probably the largest interstellar body ever observed.
The new image shows the comet much closer and more defined. NASA has not yet released technical analyzes of the material collected, but the appearance of the core and coma suggests a more legible structure than previous shots. The current phase is predicted to represent one of the best viewing opportunities before 3I/ATLAS resumes its final departure from the solar system.
The comet’s journey has become particularly interesting in recent months. It reached perihelion – the portion of the orbit closest to the Sun – on October 30, 2025, passing at about 1.4 astronomical units, just inside the orbit of Mars. Until September 2025 it remained visible even from terrestrial observatories, then its trajectory took it too close to the Sun, making it invisible for a period. It will reappear in early December 2025when it will emerge again from the other side of our star, simultaneously approaching the key moment of its path: the minimum distance from Earth, set for the December 19, 2025.
During these months other missions have also offered valuable data. In September, the PUNCH probe, engaged in the observation of comet 2025 R2 (SWAN), recorded the sudden passage of 3I/ATLAS, a lightning apparition that added another piece to the movements of the interstellar traveler.
Why does comet 3I/ATLAS fascinate astronomers?
The observations confirm that the comet 3I/ATLAS does not pose any danger to the Earth. Even at the point of closest approach it will remain at large and risk-free distances. What instead stimulates the interest of astronomers is the possible internal activity of the object. Preliminary research led by Josep Trigo-Rodríguez suggests the presence of phenomena comparable to cryovolcanism: spiral-shaped jets appear to emerge from the surface, perhaps triggered by the release of primordial material trapped inside. If confirmed, this feature would bring it closer to icy objects in the most remote regions of the solar system, indicating complex behavior for a body from another star system.
The return to visibility in December 2025 will allow researchers to compare in detail the images collected before and after perihelion, a fundamental procedure for understanding any changes in brightness, in the geometry of the coma and in the production of gas and dust.
