&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "3I/ATLAS photo from November 2025 just reached Earth. What caused the 4-month delay?")
We finally have an image of 3I/ATLAS that was captured by the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft in November 2025. It took nearly four months to see what JUICE saw from near Jupiter. The photo shows a trail of gas and dust behind the bright coma of the comet. Official findings will be announced later this month. ESA said on February 26, 2026, that the image was captured on November 6 last year. JUICE captured a bright coma around a small nucleus and jets, streams and filaments of gas and dust stretching behind the comet. On October 29, 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to the Sun, and seven days later, the JANUS camera aboard JUICE took several snapshots of the interstellar comet. The spacecraft was 66 million km from the comet at this time. The optical camera was designed to take images of Jupiter and its moons. However, scientists pointed JUICE towards 3I/ATLAS when it calculated that the comet's trajectory would bring it into its proximity.
Why was there a 4-month delay in JUICE data on 3I/ATLAS?
Besides the JANUS camera, four other instruments on JUICE were also used to observe the interstellar comet. ESA is believed to have downloaded a huge trove of information on 3I/ATLAS. But it took a long time before ESA scientists could lay their hands on the mysteries of the comet. The four-month wait was because JUICE was on the other side of the Sun when it observed the visitor. From this position, it could only use its smaller, medium-gain antenna to relay the data since the high-gain antenna was shielding it from the sun. This meant a slower rate of transmission, which only reached ESA in the second-to-last week of February.
Trending Stories
)
Lift accident? Maintenance, builders & makers are ALL liable now, rules Supreme Court: 3 major regulations | WION Decodes
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Delhi Consumer Court fines Indian Railways Rs 25,000 for making RAC passengers share one blanket
)
Who is Ruchika Singh, booked for using foul language against PM Modi at Jantar Mantar protests?
)
60,000 migrants from Morocco flood Spain's Ceuta, EU calls influx unacceptable, Trump warns US
)
'I was almost trafficked in Paris,' says Australian woman, shares terrifying ordeal - 'I am on the black market'
)
More than 100 Israeli soldiers walk out of base, chant slogans in an 'act of rebellion' | Watch
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (July 31, 2026): The Vacation Principle, Rao Bahadur, Chum- Watch 6 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet the next gen of South Cinema: From Rajinikanth's grandson to CM Vijay's son, star kids ready for debut
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
'Fifth-generation fighters': Can the S-400 shoot down an F-35?
)
India builds its first homegrown satellite battery; Nirmala Sitharaman celebrates breakthrough
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 openers with fastest ODI centuries, check who tops list
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why are iPhones so expensive compared to Android phones?
)
Mysterious structures uncovered beneath the Amazon show millions of humans once lived here
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters in latest ICC ODI rankings 2026 - check who sits at the top
)
Shehzad Poonawalla, BJP's national spokesperson quits politics? Here's what sparked social media buzz
)
Arunachal CM Pema Khandu ranks India's 4th richest CM, wealthiest in Northeast: ADR report
)
Salman Khan enters Alliance to support brother, Sohail, netizens hail, 'tomorrow’s episode is going to be MASSIVE'
)
‘Satanic’ chainsaw-wielding rescue bot leaves internet divided: ‘Those eyes are horrifying’
)
US offers $15mn reward to dismantle alleged IRGC drone funding network
)
Ariana Grande's Petal video fuels debate as fans voice concern over her appearance
)
Have 7,000 Karnataka students tested positive for HIV? Here's the truth
)
Did Araghchi agree to open Hormuz to stop Trump’s planned US strikes on Iran? What we know
)
Kim Kardashian shares sweet moment with boyfriend Lewis Hamilton during summer vacation
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 batters in latest ICC Test rankings 2026 - check who sits at the top
)
Buying Russian oil could cost India dearly? MEA breaks silence on US 100% tariff bill
)
'Delimitation designed to disenfranchise Tamil Nadu': Rahul Gandhi urges parties to oppose Bill
)
Hrithik Roshan reacts to 'sorry Hrithik' trend, Kangana Ranaut slams him, mentions Saba Azad: 'You are in a committed relationship'
)
Nearly Rs 29 crore cash, 15 kg gold found at ex-bus driver's house in West Bengal
)
German anatomist 'Dr Death's' family to grant his creepy last wish
)
At least 3 killed in mass shooting at Idaho restaurant, shocking video of gunman open firing with AR-style rifle surfaces
)
‘US is locked and loaded’: Trump calls off Iran attack but sets THESE conditions
Different teams are studying various things about 3I/ATLAS. The MAJIS and UVS teams at the space agency have started analysing the data, the SWI team is studying the comet’s composition, and the PEP team is looking at the particle data. The final findings will be announced towards the end of March. 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object seen in our solar system. It was discovered on July 1, 2025 and is believed to be 7-13 billion years old. On December 19, 2025, it made its closest approach to Earth and is now on its way out of the solar system.
