China Beats NASA to Capture and Release First Close-Up Image of Interstellar Object 3I/Atlas

China's Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter has become the first spacecraft to capture and release a close-range image of the interstellar object 3I/Atlas, ahead of NASA and other global space agencies.

The object is only the third confirmed visitor from outside the solar system, making the images a rare scientific milestone. The photograph was taken from tens of millions of kilometres away, using equipment originally intended for mapping the Martian surface rather than deep-space targets.

While NASA has also observed the object, China was the first to produce and publicly share a detailed visual capture.

Tianwen-1 Captures 3I/Atlas

According to SCMP, Tianwen-1 captured the images from roughly 30 million kilometres away on 3 October, using its high-resolution camera.

However, the craft, which has been orbiting Mars since February 2021, was never intended to photograph such faint and fast-moving objects.

The China National Space Agency (CNSA) highlighted that the target was between 10,000 and 100,000 times dimmer than surfaces on Mars, presenting a major challenge in image acquisition.

The agency stated that the images reveal 'distinctive features of a comet', referring to a bright central nucleus surrounded by a hazy coma of dust and gas. Contrary to Harvard's Avi Loeb's claims, CNSA stated that this structure is characteristic of comets as they heat while approaching a star.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has also observed the object, noting a similar teardrop-shaped cloud trailing from its icy core.

Initial size estimate suggests the nucleus could be up to 5.6 kilometres in diameter, although NASA indicated that it may be significantly smaller, with its small size contributing to questions around its origin and composition.

How China Pulled Off 3I/Atlas New Close-up Image

The Tianwen-1 science team began planning the observation in early September, taking into account the object's high speed and faint brightness. The orbiter required adjustments to tracking algorithms and exposure techniques to maintain a stable lock on the rapidly moving target.

But the resulting images will now support further analysis of the object's path and composition.

The CNSA has stated that the data will also contribute to the study of how interstellar objects form in other planetary systems before being ejected into open space.

Tianwen-1 is part of China's space expedition efforts to become a dominant force in planetary science and exploration. The mission has already delivered a rover to the Martian surface and is now contributing to deep-space observation.

China's follow-up mission, Tianwen-2, launched earlier this year, is expected to return samples from a near-Earth asteroid in 2026.

New 3I/Atlas Close-up Pictures: Origin Theories Continue

Because 3I/Atlas travels on a hyperbolic trajectory, an orbit that does not close around the sun, scientists have confirmed that it entered the solar system from interstellar space.

Only two other such visitors have been confirmed previously: the Oumuamua in 2017 and Borisov in 2019.

A group of researchers, including Loeb, has been suggesting that the object's movement shows 'anomalous characteristics' which could indicate non-natural origins. However, NASA's lead scientist for small solar system bodies rejected this suggestion, saying the object behaves consistently with known comets.

For now, with China's new close-up image of 3I/Atlas, scientists can compare it with known comet and asteroid types from different star systems and trace whether its materials formed around our Sun or in a completely different stellar environment.