China's Mars Orbiter Tianwen-1 Confirms 3i/Atlas Is Ancient Comet
Historic Observation Reveals Cosmic Traveler's True Nature
BEIJING — In a breakthrough that extends humanity's reach across the solar system, China's Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter has confirmed that the enigmatic interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is indeed a comet, capturing unprecedented images from just 30 million kilometers away—the closest any spacecraft has approached this celestial wanderer.
The China National Space Administration announced Wednesday that high-resolution imagery clearly reveals the object's comet-like anatomy: a distinct nucleus surrounded by a vast coma spanning several thousand kilometers, dispelling months of speculation about the visitor's composition.
Ancient Wanderer From Galactic Core
Discovered by a Chilean survey telescope on July 1, 2025, Atlas represents only the third confirmed interstellar object to traverse our solar system. Unlike the controversial 'Oumuamua in 2017 or comet 2I/Borisov in 2019, this visitor carries traces of the ancient Milky Way.
"This object likely formed around an ancient star at the center of the Milky Way galaxy," explained Liu Jianjun, chief designer of the ground application system for China's first Mars exploration mission. Researchers estimate Atlas's age between 3 and 11 billion years—potentially older than Earth itself.
The comet follows a hyperbolic trajectory, meaning it will pass through our solar system only once before returning to interstellar space, carrying secrets from stellar nurseries billions of light-years away.
Technical Triumph Against Cosmic Odds
The observation represents an extraordinary technical achievement. Tianwen-1's cameras were designed to photograph Mars's sunlit surface, not faint objects in deep space. Liu described the mission as "finding a needle in a haystack in the vast universe."
Beginning preparations in early September, the scientific team conducted exhaustive simulations considering Atlas's orbital characteristics, brightness, and geometric positioning. They pushed the high-resolution camera to its operational limits, adapting equipment never intended for such dim, distant targets.
The team created animations from thirty-second exposures, vividly illustrating the comet's motion against the cosmic backdrop.
Extended Mission, Expanding Horizons
Now in its fourth year orbiting Mars since February 2021, Tianwen-1 continues operating in excellent condition. The Atlas observation marks a significant expansion of the probe's original mandate.
"This successful observation was an important extension of Tianwen-1's mission," Liu noted, emphasizing that the technical experiments and accumulated experience will directly inform Tianwen-2's planned asteroid exploration.
As Atlas continues its lonely journey back to interstellar space, the data captured by Chinese instruments offers scientists a rare window into the formation and evolution of planetary systems across our galaxy—proof that even aging spacecraft can make historic discoveries when human ingenuity meets cosmic opportunity.