New images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveal twin tails ahead of December flyby
Invigorating new images have been captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and Juice (or Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) of the resplendent light of 3I/ATLAS, setting the stage for its closest approach to Earth on December 19th.
They observed the comet from 178 million and 41 million miles from Earth, respectively. 3I/ATLAS has a streamlined shape and hue of electric azure. It also has two tails – a plasma tail and one made of dust.
The plasma tail is made of electrically-charged gas pushed by the Sun’s wind. The dust tail, meanwhile, is made of solid particles pushed by sunlight, forming a faint streak.
Telescopes crucially provided this early data before the comet started its current trajectory behind the Sun (from Earth’s vantage point). However, on December 19th, the visibility of the comet will be at its best.
More than space dust
By observing the images of the comet and gaining an up-to-date perspective, scientists can study gases and space dust to understand how other planetary systems form.
Even though 3I/ATLAS is from another star system, it behaves like a typical comet from our solar system, despite being born around a Sun that may be very different from ours.
And because we rarely get physical material from outside our solar system, this is one of the only chances in human history to observe these kinds of images directly.
If comet (and therefore planet) formation is similar across the board, then it raises the chance that habitable worlds may be lurking in the universe’s farther reaches.
Juice is set to send back high-resolution images between February 18th and 20th, when scientists will be able to, in effect, check on the “chemical fingerprint” of the star type.
That could tell us whether it came from a young system, an old dying star, or a place rich in complex organics, outcomes seen as a once-in-a-decade opportunity.
🚨: 3I/ATLAS latest image seems nothing like a comet
undefined All day Astronomy (@forallcurious) December 6, 2025
Two tails and a nucleus stunningly visible! pic.twitter.com/z5nj4M7Z1x
A rare space catch
The impressive thing about the ESA (European Space Agency’s) Juice spacecraft is that it’s currently on its way to Jupiter to study its icy moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
When cruising through the inner solar system in November, it pointed its cameras to 3I/ATLAS as the comet passed through its field of view.
It represented a lucky opportunity – a spacecraft in deep space seeing a comet from impossible angles on Earth.
Comets like 3I/ATLAS move fast and may only be visible for a few months before they vanish back into interstellar space.
Previously, the hype was ramping up regarding whether or not the comet could be an alien ship, with Harvard’s Arvi Loeb (former chair of their astronomy department), in particular suggesting that there could be a 30-40% chance that it could be a UAP.
It’ll be exciting to see what the next week or so brings, particularly as we build up to a day of brilliant visibility on December 19th, with our eyes peeled.
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