NASA has released brand-new images of Interstellar comet 31/ATLAS, offering the most detailed and varied look yet at the mysterious interstellar visitor. The agency confirmed on Wednesday (Nov. 19) that 15 spacecraft, including the James Webb Space Telescope, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Lucy, Psyche, Perseverance, and many others, have captured images and scientific data as the comet speeds through our solar system.
James Webb Space Telescope.
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, told reporters, “We’ve pushed our scientific instruments beyond what they were designed to achieve to capture this amazing glimpse of an interstellar traveler.”
A Comet—Not an Alien Craft
One of NASA’s top clarifications: 3I/ATLAS is a comet, not an alien vessel.
NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya emphasized:
“It looks and behaves like a comet, and all evidence points to it being a comet. But this one came from outside the solar system, which makes it fascinating and scientifically very important.”
