News
October 25, 2025
Two spacecraft will pass right through comet 3I/ATLAS' tail
Two ESA spacecraft, Hera and Europa Clipper, are poised to fly through the long tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, a new paper finds.
**Two Spacecraft Set to Plunge Through Comet 3I/ATLAS's Tail: A Cosmic Encounter**
In a rare and exciting cosmic coincidence, two European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft are on track to traverse the lengthy tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. According to a newly published scientific paper, both Hera and Europa Clipper will independently pass directly through the comet's ethereal stream of gas and dust, offering scientists a unique opportunity to study its composition and behavior.
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, a visitor from beyond our solar system, first captured the attention of astronomers in 2019. While it disintegrated before reaching its closest approach to the sun, its tail, composed of particles shed from the comet’s nucleus, continues to drift through space. Now, years later, this ghostly remnant is set to intersect with the paths of two active missions.
Hera, ESA's planetary defense mission destined for the Didymos asteroid system, is expected to be the first to cross the comet's tail. Following closely behind, Europa Clipper, NASA's mission to explore Jupiter's icy moon Europa, will also make its own passage.
This unexpected encounter provides a valuable, and completely free, scientific bonus for both missions. While neither spacecraft was specifically designed to study comets, their onboard instruments can still gather crucial data about the particles and magnetic fields within 3I/ATLAS’s tail. Scientists are particularly interested in analyzing the composition of the tail, comparing it to comets originating within our solar system, and understanding how it interacts with the solar wind.
The data collected from these fly-throughs could provide insights into the origins of interstellar objects and the conditions present in other star systems. By analyzing the dust and gas samples, researchers hope to learn more about the building blocks of planets and the chemical makeup of regions far beyond our own solar neighborhood.
While the encounters pose minimal risk to the spacecraft, the scientific rewards are potentially substantial. The teams behind Hera and Europa Clipper are preparing to maximize the data collection during these brief but significant encounters, turning a chance alignment into a pivotal moment for comet science. The information gathered will undoubtedly contribute to a better understanding of these enigmatic wanderers and the vast, interconnected nature of our galaxy.
In a rare and exciting cosmic coincidence, two European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft are on track to traverse the lengthy tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. According to a newly published scientific paper, both Hera and Europa Clipper will independently pass directly through the comet's ethereal stream of gas and dust, offering scientists a unique opportunity to study its composition and behavior.
The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, a visitor from beyond our solar system, first captured the attention of astronomers in 2019. While it disintegrated before reaching its closest approach to the sun, its tail, composed of particles shed from the comet’s nucleus, continues to drift through space. Now, years later, this ghostly remnant is set to intersect with the paths of two active missions.
Hera, ESA's planetary defense mission destined for the Didymos asteroid system, is expected to be the first to cross the comet's tail. Following closely behind, Europa Clipper, NASA's mission to explore Jupiter's icy moon Europa, will also make its own passage.
This unexpected encounter provides a valuable, and completely free, scientific bonus for both missions. While neither spacecraft was specifically designed to study comets, their onboard instruments can still gather crucial data about the particles and magnetic fields within 3I/ATLAS’s tail. Scientists are particularly interested in analyzing the composition of the tail, comparing it to comets originating within our solar system, and understanding how it interacts with the solar wind.
The data collected from these fly-throughs could provide insights into the origins of interstellar objects and the conditions present in other star systems. By analyzing the dust and gas samples, researchers hope to learn more about the building blocks of planets and the chemical makeup of regions far beyond our own solar neighborhood.
While the encounters pose minimal risk to the spacecraft, the scientific rewards are potentially substantial. The teams behind Hera and Europa Clipper are preparing to maximize the data collection during these brief but significant encounters, turning a chance alignment into a pivotal moment for comet science. The information gathered will undoubtedly contribute to a better understanding of these enigmatic wanderers and the vast, interconnected nature of our galaxy.
Category:
Technology