Europa: Clear images of the third interstellar object, comet 3I/ATLAS, have been obtained

Astronomers have managed to capture the most detailed images to date of interstellar comet 3I / ATLAS — the third object in the entire history of observations that flew into the Solar System from interstellar space. The images were taken using the FORS2 instrument installed on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) on the night of July 3, 2025 — just two days after the comet's discovery.

The visualization data includes a timelapse of the object's movement across the sky, recorded for 13 minutes. These images offer unique insights into the comet's structure, trajectory, and physical characteristics. Object 3I / ATLAS (previously designated as C / 2025 N1) was discovered as part of the Deep Random Survey in Chile. Its identification as an interstellar body is based on a hyperbolic orbit with extremely high eccentricity, which is not typical for Solar System bodies.

At the time of discovery, the distance to the Sun was about 670 million kilometers. The status of an interstellar object was assigned after an operational analysis of the orbital parameters, which makes 3I/ATLAS the third recorded body of its kind after 1I / ‘Oumuamua (2017) and 2I / Borisova (2019). The numeric designation 3I (Interstellar) reflects this sequence.

It is expected that at the end of October 2025, the comet will reach its closest approach to Earth, but during this period it will be behind the Sun and will become temporarily inaccessible to ground-based telescopes. Repeated observations are planned for December, when 3I / ATLAS will begin to move away from the Sun and leave the Solar System.

Observation campaigns organized in different countries are aimed at collecting spectroscopic and photometric data that will help clarify the composition and origin of the object. According to experts, such comets are carriers of information about the processes occurring in the protoplanetary disks of other stellar systems. Analysis of dust and gas components can provide valuable insights into the chemical evolution of interstellar matter.

Interest in 3I / ATLAS is supported by its trajectory and physical features: according to preliminary data, the object has an active cometary envelope, which allows for detailed observations even in remote orbit. International observatories, including the Very Large Telescope, are involved in long-term monitoring, which will last until the end of the year.