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- The interstellar comet 3I\/ATLAS<\/strong> was photographed by the European Space Agency\u2019s JUICE spacecraft. The new image shows filaments of gas and dust trailing behind the bright coma of the comet.<\/li>\n
- JUICE obtained the image and other data<\/strong> in November 2025. But it was on the other side of the sun at the time, slowing down the transmission of the data back to Earth.<\/li>\n
- Mission scientists are studying the large amount of data<\/strong> and will announce their first findings later in March.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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JUICE\u2019s new image of 3I\/ATLAS<\/h3>\n
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a new image of interstellar comet 3I\/ATLAS that the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft took on its way to Jupiter. You can see a bright halo of gas \u2013 the coma \u2013 surrounding the much smaller nucleus (not visible in the image). Also, long and fainter rays, jets, streams and filaments of gas and dust stretch behind the coma. ESA said on February 26, 2026, that JUICE obtained the new image on November 6, 2025. This is the first time JUICE has gotten a glimpse of 3I\/ATLAS, which is now on its way back out of the solar system.<\/p>\n
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Our first glimpse of comet 3I\/ATLAS from Juice’s science camera ???The precious data from the mission’s November observations of the interstellar comet arrived on Earth last week. Teams are now digging in to discover what they reveal.Stay tuned for updates!More ? www.esa.int\/ESA_Multimed\u2026? ?<\/p>\n
\u2014 ESA Space Science (@science.esa.int) 2026-02-27T09:02:28.064Z<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Observing with multiple instruments<\/h3>\n
JUICE took the new image with its JANUS camera system on November 6, 2025. This was seven days after the comet was closest to the sun, and 41 million miles (66 million km) away from JUICE. JANUS is a multicolor optical camera designed to take high-resolution images of Jupiter and its icy moons.<\/p>\n
Altogether, JANUS took over 120 images, in multiple wavelengths.<\/p>\n
Through the rest of November, JUICE also used four other instruments to observe 3I\/ATLAS, collecting a wealth of information about the interstellar visitor.<\/p>\n
![\"Bright](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/03\/3IATLAS-comet-JUICE-ESA-November-7-2025-full-image.jpg\")
View larger. | The new image from JUICE of interstellar comet 3I\/ATLAS. The inset shows the image processed to show more detail in the coma. The arrows indicate the direction the comet was moving (blue) and the relative direction of the sun (yellow). Image via ESA\/ JUICE\/ JANUS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Time-lag to get new data<\/h3>\n
If JUICE took the image and other data last November, why are we just seeing it now? The answer is that in the months after the initial observations, JUICE was on the opposite side of the sun from Earth. So it had to use its smaller, medium-gain antenna to communicate instead of its primary, high-gain antenna. As a result, the data rate was slower than usual. Therefore, the mission team didn\u2019t receive the data until the second-to-last week of February. During that period, the spacecraft\u2019s high-gain antenna was pointed toward the sun and used as a heat shield.<\/p>\n
![\"Short](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/08\/Comet-3I-ATLAS-from-Hubble-NASA-Aug-7-2025-800x590.jpg\")
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of interstellar comet 3I\/ATLAS on July 21, 2025. It was the most buzzed-about story of 2025. Image via NASA\/ ESA\/ D. Jewitt (UCLA); Image Processing: J. DePasquale (STScI).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Analyzing the data<\/h3>\n
There is a lot of data from JUICE, and scientists have been eager to analyze it. The MAJIS and UVS teams are studying the spectrometry data. In addition, the SWI team is investigating data on the comet\u2019s composition, and the PEP team is studying the particle data.<\/p>\n
In late March, all the teams together will announce their first findings, ESA said.<\/p>\n
3I\/ATLAS\u2019 closest approach to Earth<\/h3>\n
3I\/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025. It passed within 1.8 AU (168 million miles or 270 million km) of our planet, at about 130,000 miles per hour (210,000 kph). So maybe not close per se, but it\u2019s close in terms of the overall size of the solar system.<\/p>\n
3I\/ATLAS is only the third-known visitor to enter our solar system. The third-known detected<\/em>, that is. Astronomers think there are probably many more, and we are just now getting better at finding them.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2024\/08\/juice-venus-flyby-animation-esa-august-2025.png\")
This artist\u2019s impression shows the JUICE spacecraft soaring in front of our planetary neighbor Venus during its flyby on August 31, 2025. It will reach Jupiter in 2031. Image via ESA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n JUICE at Jupiter<\/h3>\n
JUICE launched on April 14, 2023, and will arrive at Jupiter in 2031. ESA said its primary goals are to:<\/p>\n
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\u2026 make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons \u2013 Ganymede, Callisto and Europa \u2013 with a suite of remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
JUICE completed its flyby of Venus on August 31, 2025. It used the planet\u2019s gravity to help it reach the speed need to each reach Jupiter by 2031.<\/p>\n
Find out more about the JUICE mission here.<\/p>\n
Bottom line: The European Space Agency just released a new image of 3I\/ATLAS \u2013 the famous interstellar comet \u2013 from its JUICE spacecraft. JUICE will reach Jupiter in 2031.<\/p>\n
Via European Space Agency<\/p>\n
Read more: Interstellar object Comet 3I\/ATLAS leaving the solar system<\/p>\n
Read more: JUICE mission to Jupiter completes Venus flyby<\/p>\n
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\n - JUICE obtained the image and other data<\/strong> in November 2025. But it was on the other side of the sun at the time, slowing down the transmission of the data back to Earth.<\/li>\n