China's Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter captures rare images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

BEIJING: China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter has captured images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during its close approach to the Red Planet, contributing to global scientific efforts to study the rare interstellar interloper.

3I/ATLAS is only the third object confirmed to have entered the solar system from another planetary system, following ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.

Space agencies worldwide have sought to observe the comet using spacecraft positioned across the solar system.

The China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that its Tianwen-1 spacecraft captured images of the comet between October 1 to 4, publishing images showing its path during this time, as well as a standalone photo from October 3, 2025.