3I/ATLAS Stunner: Satoru Murata Unveils New Image — The Longer, Tighter Jet Visible

Astrophotographer Satoru Murata captured something truly astonishing. What he shared was a stunning new image of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS.

He took the image in New Mexico, US. The observations Murata made is a big deal as his image provides visual evidence supporting controversial ideas about this space visitor.

READ MORE: 3I/ATLAS New Images Reveal Violent Jets: Is This Interstellar Visitor Really Natural?

READ MORE: Solid Core of 3I/ATLAS Still Cannot Be Directly Seen, Hubble Reveals

Astrophotographer Captures Comet in New Mexico

Satoru Murata posted his newest 3I/ATLAS image to a private Facebook Group. The comet was photographed early that morning. He used a 0.2-meter telescope for his sharp final image. It combined twenty-four sixty-second exposures. He captured it between 11:53 and 12:23 UTC on 16 November 2025.

This detailed image shows multiple jets coming from 3I/ATLAS. The jets extend both to and from the Sun. A much longer, tightly collimated tail is also easily visible. The image also features an anti-tail. It was passing nearby to galaxy NGC4691 during the observation.

Satoru Murata described his observation. He captured it as a thin crescent moon passed next to it. He successfully captured three separate jets. He commented on its otherworldly feeling.

'The comet was also passing by the galaxy NGC4691 which really gave the impression of the object being from another world,' said Murata via his official Facebook post.

Image Bolsters Speculation by Avi Loeb

This new 3I/ATLAS image immediately confirmed some recent speculation. The image features strongly align with hypotheses made by Avi Loeb. He is a Harvard astrophysicist. He has tracked 3I/ATLAS since its 1 July 2025 discovery. He previously identified 12 anomalies in its behaviour.

Professor Avi Loeb reacted promptly to the fresh image. He noted the appearance of important features. He stated: 'image shows multiple jets both towards and away from the sun, including an anti-tail and a much longer tightly collimated tail.'

His prior work proposed a highly speculative cause for the comet's behaviour. He suggested a potential technological origin. Professor Loeb wrote that an anti-tail might result from technological thrusters. These thrusters could accelerate 3I/ATLAS away from the Sun. This is because of its high speed.

NASA Preparing to Release More Detailed Imagery

3I/ATLAS is only the third object known to enter our solar system from elsewhere. It was discovered by the NASA-funded ATLAS observatory. Now NASA is preparing to release its own detailed imagery. They will host a live event to share this information.

The live event is scheduled for Wednesday, 19 November at 3 pm EST. The event will take place at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. It will air on NASA+ and Amazon Prime. It will also stream on the NASA app and website.

NASA has many assets studying 3I/ATLAS. These include spacecraft across the solar system. They also use ground-based observatories. NASA wants to study how the comet behaves. The comet previously flew within 19 million miles of Mars in early October. Its closest approach to Earth is 19 December. It will get no closer than 170 million miles.

The briefing panel includes high-level authorities. It features NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya. The panel also includes Nicky Fox, the Associate Administrator for Science Mission Directorate. Shawn Domagal-Goldman is acting director for the Astrophysics Division. Tom Statler is the lead scientist for solar system small bodies.