Space & Astronomy

Interstellar visitor set to pass close to Mars in the very near future

By T.K. Randall
September 3, 2025

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) We've talked a lot about the mysterious object known as 3I/ATLAS in recent months - a visitor from another solar system that, while officially classed as a comet by scientists, is thought by some (including Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb) to be a piece of extraterrestrial technology.

For him and others, getting a close up look at this object is of critical importance, which is why its upcoming close flyby of Mars could be the opportunity they've been waiting for.

On October 3rd, 3I/ATLAS will pass within 30 million kilometers of Mars - much closer than it will ever get to the Earth - providing a unique chance to take some detailed photographs.

To this end, the European Space Agency (ESA) is preparing to turn the cameras of its Mars orbiters toward the object in the hope of capturing some useful imagery."We can confirm that we are planning to observe 3I/Atlas around the time of its closest approach to Mars," said ESA project scientist Colin Frank Wilson.

"This is predicted to occur on 3 October 2025. On this date, the object will still be approximately 30 million kilometers from Mars."

"We will attempt to obtain images of the object using the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) onboard Mars Express, and also with the Colour and Stereo Surface Imaging System (CaSSIS) onboard TGO."

It will certainly be interesting to see what images the orbiters manage to capture.

Source: Space.com

Tags: Mars, Interstellar