China releases photos of mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

3I/ATLAS - Ảnh 1. — The high-resolution camera of the Tianwen-1 spacecraft captured the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS on October 3 - Photo: CNSA/Xinhua

China's Tianwen-1 Mars exploration orbiter successfully observed the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS with a high-resolution camera, the China National Space Administration said on November 6.

According to Xinhua News Agency, during the observation, the Tianwen-1 orbiter was about 30 million km away from 3I/ATLAS and this is considered one of the closest observations by an orbiter of this celestial body.

According to CNSA, data collected and processed at the ground application system showed that the celestial body had the characteristics of a comet. Researchers created a short movie from a series of images taken within 30 seconds, showing its movement in space.

These observations are now being used to inform further scientific studies of 3I/ATLAS.

According to CNSA, this successful observation marks an extended mission for the Tianwen-1 mission.

Interstellar objects are rare finds, making 3I/ATLAS a particularly important study object.

3I/ATLAS was first discovered on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. This is the third interstellar object ever discovered, opening up valuable opportunities for scientists to study other interstellar objects.

3I/ATLAS - Ảnh 2. — The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of 3I/ATLAS on July 21, 2025, when it was 277 million miles from Earth. Photo: NASA, ESA, David Jewitt (UCLA)

Scientists believe that 3I/ATLAS likely formed around ancient stars in the central region of the Milky Way, between 3 and 11 billion years ago, possibly even before the Solar System itself. Therefore, this object has great scientific value in studying the composition and evolution of extrasolar planets, as well as the early formation history of stars.

The observation began in early September. After many simulations and feasibility assessments, the team of scientists chose to use the high-resolution camera on the orbiter, designed the optimal recording strategy and achieved successful results.

The Tianwen-1 mission, consisting of an orbiter, a lander and a rover, was launched in July 2020. The Tianwen-1 orbiter entered Mars' orbit in February 2021.