are about to get our closest view yet
of the mysterious interstellar visitor
BBC Sky at night magazine. 10/01/25
BACHGROUND:
"3I/ATLAS about to disappear behind the Sun from our perspective on Earth, and won't be visible again until early December 2025, when it emerges into our sky again."
Frustratingly, this period marks the point at which it will be most active."
(Think thats an accident?
Along with all its other anomalies?)
"Between 1 and 7 October, the European Space Agency's Mars orbiters – Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter – are scheduled to observe comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes close to the planet."
"Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter are well-established missions, having been exploring Mars since 2003 and 2016, respectively."
"There hasn't been enough time to build and launch a dedicated mission to visit and explore 3I/ATLAS, so these orbiters will be carrying out observations of the comet from their unique vantage point at the Red Planet."
"ESA’s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) will observe the comet with several instruments around its closest approach to Mars on 3 October 2025."
"Mars Express will use its High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC), while and ExoMars TGO will use its Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS).
Both cameras were designed to photograph the Red Planet,
but for a brief moment they'll be pointed at 3I/ATLAS."
(So they are going to be doing something
they were not designed to do.)
"ESA says they'll be able to measure the spectrum of light from the comet using Mars Express’s OMEGA and SPICAM spectrometers and TGO’s NOMAD spectrometer.
This could give scientists vital information about the activity occurring at the comet's surface as it approaches the Sun.
It could even reveal more about what 3I/ATLAS is made of."
"What images will we get?"
"So are we about to get more spectacular images of 3I/ATLAS,
like those captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, for example?"
Unfortunately not, according to ESA.
"The cameras on these spacecraft were designed
to photograph the surface of Mars from Mars orbit,
and won't be able to pick out much detail
on such a relatively small comet 30 million km away."
"But the cameras may be able to capture images of its long tail"
(Notice how they didnt say it's an anti-tail, pointing TO the sun.)
and also gather data that scientists can use to find out more about what 3I/ATLAS is made of."
Now here is the kicker:
"
"NASA has also said that its Perseverance and Curiosity Mars rovers will observe 3I/ATLAS at the beginning of October, and that its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
will attempt to view the comet.
"However,
no details have yet
been given by NASA
as to exactly what
its spacecraft
will be looking for,
or what sort of scientific data
they might be able to gather."
(How is that even possible?
Now combine that with:
Just one data set from Hubble
and one data set from the JWST
and they had the entire month of September
with which to observe it,
and its not to hard to draw the conclusion that something just isn't right.
Also?
Do you really think:
"The highest resolution image so far was obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope on July 21, 2025, when 3I/ATLAS was at a distance of 570 million kilometers from the telescope."
From 570 million KM away
With an instrument that is 34 years old?
(JWST is about 4 years old.)
And that's the highest resolution
photo to date?
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