Mars Orbiter Tracks Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS With Unprecedented Precision

The route of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has been traced out with ten times more precision with the images taken by a European space probe orbiting Mars. This better prediction is the product of observations from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, which spotted the comet during its close flyby of the Red Planet. Even though 3I/ATLAS is not a threat to the Earth, its path has brought that kind of precision feel, tracking closer to the world standard in how scientists will try to follow fast-moving cosmic targets. The achievement also demonstrates how spacecraft in orbit beyond Earth can serve as an early-warning system to help protect our planet in the future.

Mars Orbiter Offers Breakthrough View, Sharpening Trajectory of Rare Interstellar Comet

According to a report by the European Space Agency, the observations from Mars offered a fresh perspective as scientists continued to pinpoint the position of the comet. The spacecraft was nearly 10 times as close to 3I/ATLAS as were telescopes on Earth, which meant specialists could combine images and make a sharper calculation of its path, the agency mentioned. This upgrade will allow researchers to accurately point their instruments as the comet speeds out of the solar system.

The ExoMars Orbiter managed to snap a rare pic of a comet using its CaSIS camera. Adjustments were made for its orbit, and scientists submitted the first-ever observations from an interplanetary spacecraft to the Minor Planet Center.

The event was a practice run for future planetary defence missions, ESA scientists suggested. By pooling observations from different parts of space, astronomers are able to plot the arcs more accurately and predict their dangerous paths. The next time the JUICE spacecraft will see the comet, but those data won't be down on Earth until early 2026.