He Hubble Space Telescope managed to clearly photograph comet 3I/Atlas in the foreground. The composition shows the mysterious interstellar object with a level of detail which until now had not been achieved.
With the data obtained from the observation instrument, the NASA He was able to isolate the nucleus, distinguish the shape of the coma and record the jets of gas and dust that are ejected as the comet passes through the solar system.
Read also: 3I/ATLAS: why December 19 is the date astronomers expect to study the comet
The capture, made at the end of November from a distance close to 286 million kilometersclearly shows the activity of 3I/Atlas. Emissions of material from its surface indicate that the internal ice is sublimating due to solar heat, even at great distances.
The image of comet 3I/Atlas achieved by Hubble. (Image: Hubble/NASA)
The nucleus of the comet is usually hidden within the cloud of gas and dust that surrounds it, but Hubble’s resolution allowed it to be separated visually and its structure studied with greater precision. The space telescope achieves this level of sharpness by working outside the atmospherewithout turbulence that distorts the image.
For scientific teams, this detail is key because it offers direct information about your physical state and activity.
The scientific keys provided by the new image
The photograph not only confirms that the comet is highly active. It also provides data that helps reconstruct your behavior as you progress through the solar system.
- Composition of the ejected material. The brightness, density and shape of the jets allow us to estimate what proportion of ice and volatile gases the comet contains.
- Core rotation pattern. The orientation of the jets functions as an indicator of the rotation speed. This parameter helps anticipate how the comet’s activity will evolve in the coming weeks.
- Orbit adjustments. Each emission acts as a microforce that modifies its trajectory. With Hubble’s level of detail, it is possible to refine calculations of its final exit from the solar system.
Read also: 3I/ATLAS: why December 19 is the date astronomers expect to study the comet
A visitor who will not return
3I/Atlas was detected in the middle of the year and confirmed as the third interstellar object observed by humanity. It passed close to the Sun at the end of October and on December 19 it will reach its closest approach to Earth, at about 270 million kilometers. The distance will not allow it to be seen with the naked eye, but follow it through space instruments.
The Hubble image joins a series of observations that seek to take advantage of the brief passage of the comet through our solar system. For astronomers, it is a rare opportunity to study a body that traveled for millions of years from another corner of the galaxy and whose composition offers clues about how icy objects form and evolve in planetary systems other than our own.
