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NASA has released extraordinary new imagery of Comet 31/ATLAS, captured last month by multiple spacecraft, including the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution) mission.

In an unprecedented moment, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), MAVEN, and the Perseverance rover all observed the interstellar object as it swept past Mars on its journey through the solar system.

These images—NASA says—represent “the closest view yet” of the comet, and they are offering scientists rare insights into an object that originated outside our solar system.

Ultraviolet Views from MAVEN Show Comet 31/ATLAS

Launched in 2013, the MAVEN mission is the first spacecraft designed exclusively to study Mars’ upper atmosphere. Its ultraviolet images of Comet 31/ATLAS have proven especially valuable.

According to NASA, MAVEN’s detections revealed hydrogen signatures, allowing scientists to analyze the comet's chemical composition.
Learn more about MAVEN here:

🔗 NASA — MAVEN Mission Overview (https://www.nasa.gov)

“Observations of interstellar objects are still rare enough that we learn something new on every occasion,” said Shane Byrne, HiRISE principal investigator at the University of Arizona. “We’re fortunate that 3I/ATLAS passed this close to Mars.”

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MAVEN HiRISE Camera Captures Trajectory

From roughly 30 million kilometers away, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter used its HiRISE camera to photograph the comet’s fuzzy coma, the cloud of dust and gas released as it nears the Sun.

Leslie Tamppari, MRO’s project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, emphasized the mission’s unexpected contribution:

“This is one of those occasions where we get to study a passing space object as well.”

MRO’s observations help refine estimates of the comet’s size, structure, and trajectory—critical data for understanding objects that wander into our cosmic neighborhood from deep space.

🔗 NASA — MRO and HiRISE (https://www.nasa.gov)

Perseverance Rover Adds Ground-Level Perspective

From the surface of Mars, NASA’s Perseverance rover also captured an image of Comet 31/ATLAS on October 4, 2025, using its Mastcam-Z camera.

Because the camera had to track the comet’s motion across the sky, the background stars appear as short, bright streaks—an effect that highlights the comet’s rapid movement.
NASA noted that while the comet appears faint in the images, the rover’s perspective provides a unique Mars-surface angle not possible anywhere else.

🔗 NASA — Perseverance Rover Updates (https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/)

Comet 31/ATLAS Fascinates Scientists and Conspiracy Theorists

Comet 31/ATLAS (also known as 3I/ATLAS) did not originate within our solar system. Its interstellar origins have fueled both scientific curiosity and wild speculation.

While reputable outlets highlight NASA’s findings, tabloids have promoted conspiratorial headlines such as:

• Rare comet or alien battleship flying near Earth? NASA reveals findings (Sky News)

• 3I/ATLAS really is a 'spacecraft' as scientist says new evidence points to 'thrusters' - Daily Star

• 'Alien ship' 31/ATLAS uses 'engine' to accelerate towards Earth as it turns odd shade of blue - Daily Star

NASA, however, confirms the object is a natural interstellar comet—not an extraterrestrial spacecraft.