NASA Study Confirms Speed and Origins of Fastest Interstellar Visitor Ever Detected

NASA study teams using the Hubble Space Telescope have released the clearest image yet of an interstellar visitor named comet 3I/ATLAS, which is currently racing through our Solar System. This is just the third such object known to have made a pit stop in our cosmic neighborhood, after ʻOumuamua in 2017 and Borisov in 2019.

Captured on July 21, 2025, the image from Hubble shows 3I/ATLAS with extraordinary detail including a dust plume erupting from its sunlit side and a thin tail streaming behind. Scientists now believe this comet is traveling at an incredible 210,000 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest object of its kind we’ve ever observed within the Solar System.

NASA Study Sheds Light on a Rare Interstellar Comet

The discovery of 3I/ATLAS was made by the ATLAS system (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) on July 1, 2025, when it was still 675 million kilometers from the Sun. Thanks to the combined power of ground- and space-based telescopes like Gemini North and Hubble, researchers have now pieced together a clearer picture of what makes this celestial object unique.

According to the NASA study, the comet’s solid icy nucleus is estimated to be between 320 meters and 5.6 kilometers wide. Even with Hubble’s high-resolution capabilities, the nucleus itself remains hidden beneath a cloud of dust and gas that has been warming under the Sun’s heat. The brightness and behavior of this dust cloud are consistent with other comets typically observed closer to our Sun.

Comets, by their nature, are icy bodies that release gas and dust as they warm. 3I/ATLAS, however, is not from our Solar System at all. Astronomers believe it has likely traveled through deep interstellar space for billions of years, influenced and accelerated by gravitational pulls from stars and cosmic phenomena before eventually arriving near Earth.

The comet’s high speed is one of the strongest pieces of evidence that it did not originate in our own planetary system. Instead, it appears to have wandered into the Milky Way’s outskirts from a completely different stellar neighborhood.

Ongoing NASA Study Involving Multiple Missions

NASA is leveraging multiple observatories to deepen its study of 3I/ATLAS. Besides Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), TESS, and the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory are all involved in gathering more data. These instruments will help refine our knowledge of the comet’s structure, speed, and possibly even its chemical composition.

One of the major goals of this NASA study is to better understand the nature of interstellar comets like 3I/ATLAS, which are not bound by the gravity of our Sun. As more powerful sky surveys and detection technologies come online, astronomers expect that this type of discovery will become more common.

According to the data from NASA’s observations, 3I/ATLAS is shedding dust at a rate that aligns with comets that have approached within 480 million kilometers of the Sun. The comet is currently visible through powerful telescopes and will remain so through September 2025. However, by October, it will pass too close to the Sun to be visible from Earth. It’s expected to reappear in December 2025 on the other side of the Sun. Also Read: SpaceX Return Mission Faces Weather Delay First Pacific Splashdown Confirmed 

The presence of a distinct dust tail a telltale sign of solar heating confirms that 3I/ATLAS is behaving much like traditional comets that originate in the outer reaches of our own Solar System. But its alien origin sets it apart, making this a valuable learning moment for planetary scientists.

A Growing Catalog of Interstellar Visitors

This recent image and analysis of 3I/ATLAS represents a turning point in how we understand interstellar objects. According to NASA astronomers, improved detection systems mean we are likely just beginning to uncover a hidden population of interstellar wanderers that have been quietly passing through space for eons.

The findings also support NASA’s broader mission to monitor near-Earth objects and understand their behavior and origins. While 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth, its unexpected arrival and high velocity provide key insights into how objects from other solar systems behave under the Sun’s influence.

Conclusion

The latest NASA study into comet 3I/ATLAS offers a stunning glimpse into the mysteries of interstellar space. As this icy visitor continues its journey through the Solar System, scientists are seizing a rare opportunity to unlock secrets from beyond our own stellar neighborhood. More revelations are expected in the coming months as data from Hubble, Webb, and other observatories is analyzed.