A remarkable new image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has reignited global fascination among astronomers and space enthusiasts alike. As reported, the image is captured by British astronomers Michael Buechner and Frank Niebling. The photograph reveals intricate jet structures streaming from the comet in multiple directions, offering an unprecedented glimpse into its dynamic behaviour as claimed.Taken on November 9, the observation highlights features that appear significantly larger and more complex than those recorded in earlier studies, challenging current scientific understanding of interstellar objects. Experts are now closely examining the image to better understand the comet’s composition, formation, and the forces driving its unusual activity.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS’s new image reveals rare anti-tail jets and massive sunward features
The new image claimed on X (3I/ATLAS WHISTEL BLOWER) highlights two anti-tail jets pointing in the direction of the Sun, along with a longer jet extending in the opposite direction. According to Harvard scientist Avi Loeb, the sunward jets extend approximately 0.95 million kilometres, while the tail pointing away from the Sun measures an impressive 2.85 million kilometres. This dwarfs the glowing halo around 3I/ATLAS captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in July, which was far smaller in comparison.The image shared by Buechner and Niebling is heavily processed to emphasise the anti-tail and the elongated tail. It combines a series of images taken with two telescopes, revealing the jets in unprecedented detail. While the presence of a tail is common in comets, the dual anti-tail jets directed sunward have left scientists puzzled, as such features are rarely observed. Loeb emphasises that the sheer scale of these jets makes them impossible to analyse using particle probes on Earth-based satellites.At its nearest approach, 3I/ATLAS will still be 269 million kilometres from Earth, roughly one hundred times the size of the observed jet structure. Likewise, NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which will observe the comet on March 16, 2026, from a distance of 53 million kilometres, will not be able to intercept the jets. ESA’s JUICE spacecraft, currently 64 million kilometres from the comet while travelling to Jupiter, also faces similar limitations.
3I/ATLAS shows huge core and thick anti-tail jets never seen in other comets
One of the most striking aspects of 3I/ATLAS is the density of its anti-tail jets. Loeb notes that while solar wind typically travels at approximately 400 kilometres per second, the comet’s anti-tail exhibits an outer mass density a million times greater than the solar wind. This suggests a much larger and more massive nucleus than previously estimated for interstellar objects.Based on these observations, Loeb calculates that the diameter of 3I/ATLAS must exceed five kilometres. If the comet is natural and most of its nucleus survived perihelion, the diameter could be 10 kilometres or more. Its mass is potentially over 50 billion tons, roughly a million times greater than that of 1I/`Oumuamua, the first recognised interstellar object. Such size and mass raise questions about how such a massive interstellar body could exist without the detection of smaller interstellar objects beforehand. The new image of 3I/ATLAS has intensified curiosity within the scientific community. The presence of dual sunward anti-tail jets, the extreme size of its tail structures, and its immense mass challenge existing models of interstellar comet formation and behaviour. As Earth-based and space-based observations continue, astronomers are eager to learn more about this extraordinary visitor from another star system.Also Read | 3I/ATLAS set to reappear on 11 November 2025: How to see the rare interstellar visitor and what it reveals about deep space
