NASA is scheduled to hold a live event to unveil new, high-resolution imagery of the interstellar visitor comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1), only the third known object to enter our solar system from outside our stellar neighborhood. This release is highly anticipated, as the images are expected to provide the clearest view yet of the comet's nucleus and its unusual behavior following its closest approach to the Sun.
Event Details and How to Watch Live
The imagery, collected by various NASA missions and ground-based observatories, will be presented during a live briefing originating from the Goddard Space Flight Center.
| Detail | Information |
| Date | Wednesday, November 19 |
| Time | 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) |
| Location | NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland |
Where to Stream:
The live event will be broadcast across multiple platforms, ensuring global accessibility:
NASA+ (The agency's streaming service)
The NASA App (Mobile application)
The agency's official website
NASA's YouTube channel
Amazon Prime
Members of the public are encouraged to submit questions about the comet using the hashtag #AskNASA on social media, with selected questions potentially being answered during the broadcast.
Why These Images Are Significant
The images being released represent a comprehensive look at the comet's passage through the inner solar system, gathered from complementary vantage points across space and Earth.
Clarity and Resolution: The release is expected to include images captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Since the comet passed within 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) of Mars in early October, these images are anticipated to be the highest-resolution pictures of 3I/ATLAS obtained to date, surpassing those captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in July.
Behavior at Perihelion: The new data will allow scientists to study the comet's activity during and immediately after its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) in late October. Being behind the Sun as viewed from Earth during this time, observation was left to spacecraft near Mars and those further out, like the Europa Clipper and JUICE spacecraft. The multi-mission data will provide a full picture of how the comet reacted to solar heat.
Scientific Importance: Studying 3I/ATLAS provides a natural sample from a distant star system, offering crucial clues about planet formation and chemical evolution in environments far beyond our own solar system.
The Mysterious Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
Comet 3I/ATLAS has garnered global attention due to its unusual characteristics and the high speed of its journey.
Discovery and Naming: Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System observatory, it is designated 3I/ATLAS because it is the third (3) confirmed Interstellar (I) object ever detected, following 'Oumuamua and Borisov.
Trajectory: It is traveling on an unbound, hyperbolic trajectory with an exceptionally high orbital eccentricity, meaning it is merely passing through our solar system and will eventually escape the Sun's gravity to continue its journey into interstellar space, never to return.
Size and Composition: While the exact nucleus size is challenging to measure, it is estimated to be between 1,400 feet (440 meters) and 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) in diameter. Observations have confirmed it is an active comet, complete with a solid icy nucleus, a coma (gas and dust cloud), and a tail, indicating it is a natural, albeit rare, celestial body.
No Threat to Earth: The comet poses absolutely no danger to our planet. Its closest approach to Earth will occur on December 19, 2025, when it will still be a safe distance of approximately 170 million miles (270 million kilometers) away.
The 'Alien' Theory and Scientific Consensus
Comet 3I/ATLAS sparked viral speculation, particularly due to comments from Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who noted several "anomalies" that he suggested could potentially point to a non-natural origin, such as its unusual tail orientation and non-gravitational acceleration.
However, subsequent observations by astronomers worldwide have solidified its natural origin:
Hydroxyl Radical Detection: Radio signals were detected from 3I/ATLAS shortly after perihelion. Analysis confirmed these emissions were produced by hydroxyl radicals (OH molecules) formed when sunlight breaks down water vapor in the comet's coma—a classic hallmark of an active, icy comet.
Water Jets: NASA observations documented intense jets of water erupting from the comet as it neared the Sun, behavior consistent with a typical "dirty snowball" comet.
These findings confirm that while 3I/ATLAS exhibits unusual characteristics—likely due to its origin in a distant star system—it is a natural interstellar comet, not an alien probe.
You can explore more about the comet's journey in the following video: