Updates on 3I/ATLAS: Clearest image of interstellar comet, what NASA and India saw, and live observations

3I/ATLAS is being observed by several astronomers across the world. The interstellar comet has been the star of the show for weeks now, with conspiracy theories doing the rounds and similar dismissals. We are still looking for clear answers, even though NASA has categorically stated that it is just a comet. Other scientists have also seen it from various regions on Earth, capturing intriguing images. Indian astronomers also observed it from Mount Abu and stated that it is behaving like a solar system comet. Meanwhile, NASA released the images taken by various spacecraft from September to November. As 3I/ATLAS continues to intrigue and inspire awe, here are some recent updates and revelations.

NASA shares 3I/ATLAS photos

NASA finally released all the images of 3I/ATLAS observed by the space agency's various missions after the government shutdown ended. The biggest reveal was expected to be a snap captured by its Mars orbiter on October 2. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was closest to the comet during its flyby of the Red Planet. However, NASA did not release any information because of the shutdown. It finally held a live press conference on November 19, in which it shared the photo of the interstellar comet looking like a fuzzy dot. The photo was captured by the HiRISE camera from 30 million kilometres away. The space agency clarified that it shows no sign of being of technological origin. Nicky Fox, the associate administrator for NASA's science mission directorate, said, "We certainly haven't seen any technosignatures [technological traces of intelligent life] or anything from it that would lead us to believe it was anything other than a comet." NASA said that a total of 12 of its spacecraft have observed 3I/ATLAS since its discovery on July 1.

Also Read: Indian scientists observe 3I/ATLAS: Behaving like a 'typical' solar system comet

3I/ATLAS could have released tiny objects, claims Loeb

Notably, Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has shared at least 12 anomalies displayed by 3I/ATLAS to claim that it could be an “alien mothership” and could have released tiny probes. On November 20, Loeb cited "two narrow jets directed opposite to each other and oriented vertically from the 3I/ATLAS-Sun axis" to claim that tiny spacecraft have left the object. He said that the sideways lines visible in the photo "extend out to a distance of about a million kilometres from 3I/ATLAS." However, he later admitted that these jets were merely linked to an Earth-based communication satellite.

Also Read: 3I/ATLAS spotted by 12 NASA spacecraft: What Mars, asteroid and solar missions saw

Indian astronomers capture 3I/ATLAS images for first time

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that between November 12-15, 2025, Indian astronomers in Mount Abu were able to observe 3I/ATLAS. Scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) saw the comet, it wrote in a post on its official website. They did not see a clear tail; however, a slight elongation was visible. They also studied the rate of release of gas from the nucleus into the coma, also known as the "production rate." The researchers added that the data were consistent with certain other solar system comets.

Also Read: 3I/ATLAS images live-streamed from Italy: 'Clearly a comet', astronomer asserts

Live observations of 3I/ATLAS

The Virtual Telescope Project live-streamed shots of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on November 19. Gianluca Masi, an Italian astrophysicist and astronomer, shared real-time pictures showing a bright object with a coma and a clear tail. He stressed again that it is a comet and no one should speculate otherwise. He did admit that it was a "pretty special" object. "It was moving pretty fast at the time of discovery. At the time, it was 670 million kilometres from the Sun, around the distance of Jupiter from the Sun. It was moving very fast, 61 km/sec," Masi said during the live stream.

Clearest image of 3I/ATLAS

Canadian astrophotographer Paul Craggs has seemingly captured the clearest images of 3I/ATLAS. He observed it from Dwarf 3 on November 22. The picture shows a clear outline of the interstellar comet with an elongated shape. He shared the images on X, leaving netizens shocked to see that a portable smart telescope was able to capture such a clear image of the interstellar comet.