Observations from the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton observatory and the Japanese-led X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission (XRISM) detected a massive X-ray glow stretching roughly 250,000 miles (400,000 kilometers) from the comet’s nucleus. Scientists believe this glow is produced as gases from the comet interact with the solar wind, offering insights into how objects from interstellar space behave in our sun’s high-energy environment.
A detailed scientific analysis can be found in a recent paper published by Astronomy & Astrophysics:
https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/2026/01/aa58072-25.pdf
How to Watch 31/ATLAS One Last Time
Although the comet has passed its closest approach, skywatchers still have one final chance to see it. The Virtual Telescope Project, hosted by astronomer Gianluca Masi, will hold a free livestream starting at 11 p.m. EST (0400 GMT) and running until 1 a.m. EST.
The event is weather dependent, but viewers can tune in here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InterstellarComet3IATLAS
