Argus News - 3I/ATLAS Set To Make Its Closest Approach To Earth On This Day, Read In Details

New Delhi, Dec 9: 3I/ATLAS, also known as C/2025 N1 and previously as A11pl3Z, is an interstellar comet discovered on July 1st 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System station.

As per reports, the Comet is beginning to show heightened activity as it speeds towards Earth, with its closest approach expected on December 19.

The latest photo was captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, which also took pictures in July.

Recent observations have provided some of the most detailed views of the comet.

The Hubble Telescope, on November 23, 2025, was the first to observe a bright central nucleus surrounded by a luminous coma, soon after it was discovered in July, showing a teardrop-shaped cocoon of dust.

Astronomers observing comet 3I/ATLAS have reported striking new features as it approaches Earth. A distinct tail is visible stretching behind the nucleus, accompanied by a faint but unusual “anti-tail” extending in the opposite direction.

The European Space Agency JUICE's mission also imaged 31/ATLAS from closer range in early November.

JUICE'S Nav Cam revealed a glowing coma accompanied by two distinct tails- a plasma tail made of ionized gas and a fainter dust tail composed of small solid particles. These images are particularly valuable, offering insight  into the comet's structural composition.

Amateur astronomers, Gerald Rhemann and Michael Jaggar using a 12-inch telescope in Namibia, also captured a stunning image of the comet from Earth on December 2, highlighting its visibility even at a distance of around 280 million kilometers.

The study of comet 3I/ATLAS offers scientists a rare opportunity to understand the processes that shape planetary systems. By comparing its behaviour and composition with comets formed within our Solar System, researchers hope to determine whether interstellar comets share similar properties or carry distinctly different materials.

(By Aditi Majhi)