Tag: CaSSIS
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ESA’s Mars Watch Captures Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS in Glimpse of the Unknown
Rare Interstellar Visitor Reaches the Mars Scene On October 3, a rare interstellar visitor, comet 3I/ATLAS, passed by Mars at a distance of about 30 million kilometers. While comets are common in our solar neighborhood, 3I/ATLAS is extraordinary because it originated outside the Sun’s gravity, offering a priceless glimpse into material from another star system.…
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Interstellar Visitor Lights Up Mars Sky: First Close Look by ESA Orbiters
Rare Interstellar Visitor Captured by Mars Orbiters In a landmark moment for planetary science and astronomy, an interstellar comet—3I/ATLAS—passed close to Mars on October 3, offering a rare glimpse from Earth’s neighboring planet. The event marked only the third time humanity has observed a true interstellar object, following 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). As the…
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Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS Skims Mars Sky: What ESA’s Rovers Revealed
Interstellar visitor crosses the Martian sky As October 2025 unfolded, astronomers faced a familiar puzzle: how do you observe something that’s on the opposite side of the Sun? The answer, in part, lay with the many rovers and spacecraft stationed on Mars. From 1 to 7 October, Europe’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Mars…
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Mars rovers glimpse interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS near Mars
Rising Challenge: Observing a Visitor from Another Star In October 2025, astronomers faced a familiar problem with an unfamiliar guest. Comet 3I/ATLAS, a rare interstellar visitor entering our Solar System, was about to be swallowed by solar glare as it approached the Sun. From Earth, the glare of the Sun would wash out any view.…
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Observed by Mars Orbiters
A visitor from another star In late 2025, Earth’s telescopes were chasing light from a visitor that didn’t belong to our solar system. 3I/ATLAS is not a typical comet born in the icy outskirts of the Sun’s domain; it arrived from another star and is currently just a fleeting guest in our celestial neighborhood. Discovered…
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ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS European Space Agency spacecraft are turning their optics toward a rare visitor from beyond our Solar System. Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has caught the attention of ESA’s Mars orbiters, with the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express mission contributing valuable observations as the object…
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ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express Spotlight Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS
ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express observe interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS NASA/ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express mission have joined a historic moment in planetary science by observing the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. The observations, captured with the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) on TGO, show a faint but telling picture of…
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ESA’s ExoMars and Mars Express Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
ESA’s Mars Orbiters Turn Their Eyes on a True Interstellar Visitor In a surprising turn for planetary science, Europe’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Mars Express have recorded observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. While the nucleus remains far too faint to resolve, the coma surrounding the comet’s icy-rocky core becomes visible in CaSSIS…
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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Captured by Mars Orbiter
European Mars Orbiter Captures 3I/ATLAS During Distant Flyby In a rare encounter with a traveler from beyond the solar system, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passed by Mars on October 3, skimming within 19 million miles (about 30 million kilometers) of the Red Planet. The European Space Agency (ESA) reported that its Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)…
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European Mars Orbiter Captures Starlight Visitor: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Zooms Past Mars
Eyes on the Sky: ExoMars TGO Documents an Interstellar Intruder The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars orbiters were on high alert last week as interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS passed near the Red Planet. NASA and ESA observers have long anticipated the chance to study these rare visitors up close, and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO)…