NASA’s latest release of HiRISE photographs of interstellar comet 31/ATLAS has left many sky watchers and researchers frustrated. Although NASA finally unveiled images after a long delay caused by the government shutdown, the pictures were unexpectedly blurry
Amateur astronomers have been sharing clearer views online. The space agency’s explanation has only fueled more discussion about what the comet might truly be.
A Long-Awaited Reveal Falls Flat
NASA’s livestream event was expected to showcase crisp, groundbreaking imagery from some of the agency’s most advanced instruments. But when the fuzzy photos of 3I/ATLAS appeared, confusion quickly turned into disappointment.
The comet has drawn global attention since its July 1, 2025, discovery by the ATLAS observatory in Chile. With unusual features related to its trajectory, anti-tail, chemical makeup, and mysterious origin, scientists — including Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb — believed NASA was prepared to reveal something extraordinary.
