![\"This](\"https:\/\/cdn.sci.news\/images\/enlarge13\/image_14342_1e-3I-ATLAS.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThis image of 3I\/ATLAS was captured on October 31, 2025, by Lowell Observatory astronomer Qicheng Zhang. Image credit: Qicheng Zhang \/ Lowell Observatory.<\/p>\n
3I\/ATLAS<\/a> was discovered by the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, on July 1, 2025.<\/p>\n Also known as C\/2025 N1 (ATLAS) and A11pl3Z, the comet arrived<\/a> from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.<\/p>\n Its designation as the most dynamically extreme object yet recorded is due to its hyperbolic orbit with an exceptionally high eccentricity and an extreme hyperbolic excess velocity.<\/p>\n 3I\/ATLAS reached its closest approach to the Sun \u2014 known as perihelion \u2014 on October 30, 2025.<\/p>\n The interstellar visitor came within 1.4 AU (astronomical units) or 210 million km of the star \u2014 just inside the orbit of Mars.<\/p>\n At this point, the comet was traveling at its maximum speed of about 68 km\/s and was briefly hidden from Earth-based telescopes due to its proximity to the Sun in the sky.<\/p>\n Following the perihelion, it became visible to the telescopes again and will be observable through December as it moves away from the Sun and Earth, heading back into interstellar space.<\/p>\n The first optical post-perihelion image of 3I\/ATLAS (see above) was captured<\/a> on October 31 by Lowell Observatory astronomer Qicheng Zhang using the Discovery Telescope.<\/p>\n This image of 3I\/ATLAS was captured on November 8, 2025, by astronomers from the ICQ Comet Observations group. Image credit: M. J\u00e4ger \/ G. Rhemann \/ E. Prosperi.<\/p>\n On November 8, a trio of astronomers from the ICQ Comet Observations group observed<\/a> the comet at 29 degrees separation from the Sun in the sky.<\/p>\n Their images showed a complex jet structure of at least seven jets, some of which are anti-tails.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven that a large number of jets appear in many directions, the reported non-gravitational acceleration of 3I\/ATLAS requires much more than 10-20% of its initial mass to have been ejected near perihelion,\u201d Harvard University\u2019s Professor Avi Loeb said<\/a> about the ICQ images.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly a fraction of that mass carries an excess momentum in a preferred direction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis means that the cloud of debris around 3I\/ATLAS must represent a substantial fraction of its initial mass for a natural comet.\u201d<\/p>\n This image of 3I\/ATLAS was captured on November 9, 2025, by astronomers from the British Astronomical Association. Image credit: Michael Buechner \/ Frank Niebling.<\/p>\n On November 9, a duo of astronomers from the British Astronomical Association (BAA) observed<\/a> the comet using two telescopes.<\/p>\n Their composite images showed a long \u2018smoking\u2019 tail and two anti-tail jets.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n