New Images of Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Reveal Unexpected Details as it Passed Mars
beijing,November 2025 – Newly released high-resolution images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS,captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Camera (HiRIC) onboard the Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter,are providing scientists with unprecedented data as the object made its closest approach to the Red Planet. the images, analyzed by a team led by Avi Loeb, head of the Galileo Project and founding director of Harvard UniversityS Black Hole Initiative, reveal a surprisingly complex structure, prompting further investigation into the object’s origins and composition.
The flyby of 3I/ATLAS presents a rare opportunity to study an interstellar object up close. Discovered in June 2023,3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object detected passing through our solar system,following ‘Oumuamua and Comet 2I/Borisov. Unlike its predecessors, 3I/ATLAS exhibited an unusually high gas production rate even at a significant distance from the Sun, defying conventional cometary behavior. This anomaly, coupled with the new HiRIC imagery, is fueling debate about whether the object is a comet, an asteroid, or something entirely new.
Loeb, author of Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth and the recently released paperback edition of Interstellar, emphasized the importance of the Tianwen-1 observations. ”These images are crucial for understanding the nature of interstellar objects and, potentially, the building blocks of planetary systems around other stars,” he stated. The HiRIC camera’s ability to capture detailed images from a unique vantage point – Mars orbit – offers a perspective unavailable from Earth-based telescopes.
The images show a fuzzy, diffuse appearance, suggesting a significant release of gas and dust. Analysis is ongoing to determine the object’s size, shape, and internal structure. The Galileo Project team is currently working to correlate the HiRIC data with observations from other telescopes to create a comprehensive model of 3I/ATLAS. Further analysis is expected to reveal more about the object’s trajectory and composition,potentially shedding light on the conditions in the star system from which it originated.
(Image Credit: Chris Michel,national Academy of Sciences,2023)
