Trace Gas Orbiter Captures New Images of Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
During its closest approach to Mars on October 3, 2025, 3I/ATLAS was 30 million km away from ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO).This image of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was captured on October 3, 2025 by the CaSSIS instrument aboard ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter. Image credit: ESA / TGO / CaSSIS.TGO captured the new images of 3I/ATLAS with its Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS).
“This was a very challenging observation for the instrument,” said Dr. Nick Thomas, principal investigator of the CaSSIS instrument at ESA.
“3I/ATLAS is the slightly fuzzy white dot moving downwards near the center of the images.”
“This dot is the center of the comet, comprising its icy-rocky nucleus and its surrounding coma.”
“CaSSIS could not distinguish the nucleus from the coma, because 3I/ATLAS was too far away.”
“The angular resolution of the CaSSIS camera...