NASA Mobilizes 12 Missions to Track Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS— A Complete Overview of the November 19 Special Coverage

NASA on 3I/ATLAS

*NASA held an official press briefing on the same day it released these observation datasets. At Acima, we have published a separate in-depth article summarizing the content of that briefing, and we recommend reading it together with this piece. → (Link): “NASA Press Conference Roundup: Latest Updates on 3I/ATLAS” (Japanese)

On November 19, 2025, NASA released several special feature articles on interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in a single day.

In total: five articles.

Together, they describe a “solar system–wide tracking campaign” that mobilizes NASA’s full observational assets — from STEREO, SOHO, PUNCH, Lucy, and other spacecraft, to multiple planetary missions and deep-space observatories far from Earth.

3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar comet ever observed in history. Once it leaves the solar system, it will never return.

Faced with this historic “one-time visitor,” NASA has deployed an unprecedented observational framework.

In this article, we organize everything NASA officially released on November 19, 2025, and systematically explain how 12 different missions have tracked 3I/ATLAS across the solar system.

Meanwhile, the articles by Dr. Avi Loeb that Acima translates on a daily basis focus on the “latest anomalies and physical interpretations” discussed after this NASA report.

In other words, this piece is a “foundational dossier” that compiles all facts NASA had confirmed as of November 19, and it belongs to a different phase of the discussion than Loeb’s most recent insights. We would like to state that clearly at the outset.

1. Why Did NASA Release “Five 3I/ATLAS Articles” All at Once on November 19?

Normally, NASA does not publish this many articles about a single object on the same day. November 19 was highly unusual, and we see three main reasons behind it.

1) The timing: analysis of the September–October data had just converged

NASA’s announcements came about 1–2 months after the observation dates (September–October). That is “close to the fastest possible pace” for this kind of multi-mission analysis.

They had to combine and process:

• Time-series data from multiple missions

• Stacked images from long exposure sequences

• Noise removal

• Parallax analysis from multiple vantage points

• Corrections for solar wind and high-energy particle interference

Once these steps were completed and the data reached a publishable state, November 19 became the natural “release point.”

2) Inside NASA, 3I/ATLAS had been elevated to “special treatment” status

On NASA’s official website, 3I/ATLAS has its own dedicated page: “Comet 3I/ATLAS”.

This means that:

• It is the first such treatment since 1I/ʻOumuamua

• It is handled very differently from 2I/Borisov

In other words, NASA is effectively classifying 3I/ATLAS as:

“An exceptional object that must be recorded in the history of observation.”

3) The need to share “baseline data” with researchers around the world

Global attention to the anomalies of 3I/ATLAS, including those raised by Dr. Avi Loeb, had already been mounting.

NASA’s role is, first and foremost, to provide facts. Before speculation and debate, it needed to publish at least the following:

• What was actually observed

• Which instruments detected what

• How much the brightness changed

• How the position of the tail and coma evolved

• Which path it took relative to the Sun

• How it looked from the Mars side

November 19 can therefore be seen as a milestone in information disclosure.

2. The 12 NASA Missions Involved: One of the Largest Interstellar Campaigns Ever

According to NASA’s wrap-up article, 12 NASA assets (spacecraft and telescopes) have successfully observed 3I/ATLAS so far.

They can be grouped as follows:

(A) Heliophysics missions (observing near the Sun)

• STEREO-A (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory)

  • Stacked visible-light images with HI-1 (Sept. 11–Oct. 2)

• SOHO (ESA/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory)

  • LASCO C3 coronagraph observations (Oct. 15–26)

• PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere)

  • Imaging near-Sun regions (Sept. 20–Oct. 3)

These three spacecraft have a line of sight close to the Sun, allowing them to observe regions that are “too close to the Sun to see” with ground-based or standard telescopes.

(B) Mars missions (observing from a different angle than Earth)

• MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter)

  • Observed from the closest distance yet: 19 million miles

• MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN)

  • Ultraviolet observations used for compositional analysis

• Perseverance rover (on the Martian surface)

  • Ultra-long-distance observation from the surface of Mars

By providing a parallax angle different from Earth’s, these missions enable ongoing studies to reconstruct the comet’s three-dimensional structure.

(C) Asteroid exploration missions

• Lucy

  • High-resolution L’LORRI camera captured coma and tail (Sept. 15–17)

• Psyche

  • Four observations over eight hours on Sept. 8–9→ Used by NASA for orbit determination

(D) Deep-space and ground-based telescopes

• Hubble Space Telescope – initial observations in late July

• JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) – observations in August

• SPHEREx (Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer)→ Spectral data suited to analyzing interstellar material

• ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System)→ The Chilean telescope that discovered 3I/ATLAS on July 1

3. Mission-by-Mission: Complete Breakdown of NASA’s November 19 Releases (Part 1)

The five articles NASA published on November 19 each highlight the observations of a specific mission.

Here, drawing on a close reading of those articles, the Acima editorial team explains “which spacecraft, when, at what distance, and what it actually saw” — as a structured, expert-oriented digest.

3-1. Lucy: Definitive Images of Coma and Tail from Extreme Distance (Sept. 15–17)

The observation NASA emphasizes most strongly is that of Lucy.

The reason: no spacecraft has ever captured such a clear coma and tail from as far away as 240 million miles, outside Mars’ orbit.

🔭 Key observation parameters

• Dates: Sept. 15–17 (UTC)

• Distance: 240 million miles (about 386 million km)

• Instrument: L’LORRI high-resolution panchromatic camera

L’LORRI is a broadband black-and-white camera derived from the LORRI instrument on the New Horizons Pluto mission, optimized to observe faint distant targets.

Lucy’s primary mission is to explore the Jupiter Trojan asteroids, not comets. Achieving this result despite that makes the observation particularly remarkable.

🖼 Image characteristics (summarized from the NASA article)

• A clearly resolved coma (gas cloud) at the center of the image

• A short, faint tail (dust tail) extending to the right

• The coma appears extended, unlike the point-like images of background stars, clearly marking it as a comet

• At the time of imaging, the comet was on its way toward Mars

NASA is using this dataset to study:

• The direction of dust ejection

• Light curve and brightness evolution

• Inferences about surface and internal structure

🌡 Engineering challenges — “How to point near the Sun without overheating”

If Lucy points too close to the Sun, the spacecraft body can overheat. To avoid this, mission engineers:

• Carefully adjusted the attitude so that Lucy’s body shielded the instruments from direct sunlight

• Accepted that some scattered sunlight would still enter the camera, appearing as a “fuzzy arc” beneath the comet in the images

NASA’s article explicitly notes that this artifact has no scientific impact and does not represent a malfunction.

3-2. PUNCH: Capturing Tail Growth Near the Sun (Sept. 20–Oct. 3)

PUNCH, launched in 2025, is a new mission designed to observe the solar corona and heliosphere.

Its target is normally solar wind and coronal structures, not comets — and yet, it managed to visualize the growth of 3I/ATLAS’s tail.

🔭 Key observation parameters

• Dates: Sept. 20–Oct. 3

• Distance: about 231–235 million miles (approx. 370–378 million km)

• Instrument: PUNCH wide-field imager

🖼 Image characteristics (from the NASA article)

• The comet appears as a bright white point / coma near the center

• A slightly extended tail to the lower right

• Background stars appear as long streaks, due to the stacking of multiple frames aligned on the comet’s motion

💡 NASA’s comment

“We’re really pushing the limits of the system.”— Kevin Walsh (PUNCH observing team, Southwest Research Institute)

PUNCH was not originally intended to track faint cometary objects.Even so, by using stacking techniques, the team succeeded in bringing out the tail.

Scientists are now using PUNCH data to analyze:

• Tail direction (anti-solar)

• Speed and density of outflowing gas

• Effects of the solar wind

Within NASA, this result is treated as an “unexpected bonus” from the mission.

3-3. SOHO: A Rare Side-On View Near the Sun (Oct. 15–26)

SOHO is a flagship solar observatory and has also become famous as a “comet hunter,” discovering over 5,000 comets since its 1995 launch.

However, NASA’s article repeatedly notes that:

“3I/ATLAS might be too faint for SOHO to detect.”

Reasons included:

• The comet was expected to be exceedingly faint

• Solar glare near the field center is extremely strong

• The region in question approaches the sensitivity limits of LASCO C3

Despite these concerns, SOHO did detect a slight brightening between October 15 and 26.

🖼 Image characteristics

• A point at the center of the frame that is just barely brighter than the background noise

• Overall, a low-contrast image with a brownish/yellowish tone

• The comet’s brightness is almost indistinguishable from noise

To the untrained eye, it is essentially impossible to identify “which pixel is the comet.” Only through advanced stacking and processing at NASA could the signal be reliably extracted.

Why SOHO matters:

• It orbits at the Sun–Earth L1 point, about 1 million miles closer to the Sun than Earth

• It observes the Sun from a vantage point that allows near-Sun geometry unavailable from Earth

• It can see the comet just before it slips behind the Sun from Earth’s perspective

The resulting position data are crucial for:

• Refining the orbit

• Estimating activity levels

• Assessing gas production rates near the Sun

3-4. STEREO: HI-1 Visible-Light Imager Brings the Comet into View (Sept. 11–Oct. 2)

The HI-1 (Heliospheric Imager-1) camera onboard STEREO-A is a wide-field visible-light imager used to observe solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

Although it is primarily a heliophysics instrument, it successfully imaged 3I/ATLAS between Sept. 11 and Oct. 2.

🔭 Observation characteristics

• Numerous sequential visible-light frames were taken

• Through stacking (integrating many exposures), the comet’s faint signal was enhanced

• The yellow-to-red color scheme used in NASA’s published images is a visualization choice to distinguish them from other missions’ imagery

• The comet appears as only a slightly brightened central region

NASA chose this image as a “headline visual” because it clearly shows the comet’s path in motion, maximizing both scientific and outreach value.

3. Mission-by-Mission: Complete Breakdown (Part 2)

Now we turn to observations of 3I/ATLAS from Mars orbiters, deep-space observatories, asteroid missions, and the ATLAS discovery telescope, and take a closer look at the technical context and scientific significance from the Acima editorial perspective.

3-5. MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter): Closest NASA Flyby at 19 Million Miles

Among NASA’s assets, MRO observed 3I/ATLAS from the closest distance as it passed through the inner solar system.

🔭 Observation distance

• About 19 million miles (roughly 30.5 million km)

This is closer than any Earth-based observation, making MRO’s data extremely important for high-precision orbit analysis.

🖼 Image characteristics

Although NASA has not published the actual images, MRO’s capabilities allow it to resolve:

• Brightness distribution from the nucleus outward

• Coma size

• Tail angle

• Changes in direction of the solar wind

Because Mars provides a vantage point nearly 180 degrees away in parallax from Earth, MRO data are invaluable for reconstructing the comet’s three-dimensional structure.

3-6. MAVEN: Compositional Clues from Ultraviolet Spectroscopy

MAVEN’s primary mission is to study the Martian atmosphere. However, its UV imagers are well-suited to detecting volatile species such as H₂O, CO₂, CO, and OH.

NASA has not yet released specific numerical results, but MAVEN’s UV spectra are expected to be used to estimate:

• Which kinds of ices dominate the surface (H₂O-rich vs. CO-rich, etc.)

• Relative proportions of sublimating gases

• Variations in outgassing over time

These data could eventually be compared directly to the “jet anomalies” and other unusual behaviors that Loeb has discussed.

3-7. Perseverance: “Ultra-Long-Range Observation” from the Martian Surface

According to NASA, the Perseverance rover:

• Detected a very faint signal from 3I/ATLAS from the Martian surface

• Functioned effectively as a “ground-based telescope on Mars”

From a pure observational power standpoint, the contribution is limited. However, it carries a unique historical significance:

It is the first time in history that an interstellar comet has been observed from the surface of another planet.

As such, it is an iconic example of viewing an interstellar object from an “alien vantage point.”

3-8. Psyche: Four Observations in Eight Hours for Orbit Refinement

The Psyche spacecraft, en route to the metal-rich asteroid (16) Psyche, conducted four observations over Sept. 8–9.

NASA explains that this dataset is used to:

• Obtain positional data for 3I/ATLAS as seen from Psyche’s location

• Feed those data into the orbit determination for 3I/ATLAS

• Cross-check and fine-tune the orbit by comparing with Lucy’s position data

Because a comet’s orbit can be subtly altered by:

• Solar wind

• Jet activity

• Gas outflow

• Radiation pressure

multiple independent position measurements from different spacecraft are crucial for accurate orbit solutions.

3-9. Hubble: Initial Observations in Late July

Hubble conducted early observations of 3I/ATLAS in late July, shortly after the discovery.

The sequence was:

• July 1: Discovery by the ATLAS telescope

• Late July: Initial Hubble observations

• August–October: Expansion of the observation network by NASA

Hubble is particularly well suited to studying early coma activity and has provided hints that:

• The comet’s activity may have started unusually early (it was already bright while still far from the Sun)

• The nucleus may be relatively small

These early clues feed into later discussions about the comet’s physical character.

3-10. JWST: Infrared View of the Comet’s Material Composition

The James Webb Space Telescope observed 3I/ATLAS in August.

JWST excels at:

• Detecting water vapor, CO, CO₂, and other volatile species

• Estimating particle size distributions from microns to millimeters

• Measuring thermal emission to infer the comet’s temperature

As of November 19, NASA had not yet released detailed results from JWST, but this is one of the datasets the global research community is most eagerly awaiting.

3-11. SPHEREx: Spectral Comparisons with Interstellar Material

SPHEREx, which began operations in 2025, is an infrared spectral survey mission designed to study the composition and evolution of interstellar gas and ices.

For 3I/ATLAS, SPHEREx will likely be used to:

• Determine whether the comet contains interstellar-type signatures

• Compare its composition with that of typical solar-system comets

• Examine differences in absorption features across the spectrum

Because 3I/ATLAS is essentially an “iceberg from another star system,” SPHEREx observations have exceptionally high scientific value.

3-12. ATLAS Discovery Telescope: First Images on July 1

3I/ATLAS was first spotted on July 1 by the ATLAS survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile.

ATLAS is operated as an early-warning system for potentially Earth-impacting objects.

The earliest discovery data are important for:

• Establishing the initial brightness

• Providing a baseline for how the comet responds to the solar wind

• Making first estimates of nuclear size

NASA’s large-scale tracking campaign effectively began with this detection.

4. Why Did NASA Choose November 19 for These Five Articles?

From the Acima editorial perspective, this date is particularly significant.

When we analyze NASA’s behavior, we can infer four strategic intentions.

1) A natural milestone: the September–October observation phase was complete

By this point, NASA had assembled data from:

• STEREO (Sept. 11–Oct. 2)

• PUNCH (Sept. 20–Oct. 3)

• SOHO (Oct. 15–26)

• Lucy (Sept. 15–17)

• Psyche (Sept. 8–9)

With these datasets consolidated, November 19 became a natural moment to formalize the results.

2) Providing “baseline data” to researchers worldwide

By mid-November:

• Loeb had already flagged multiple “anomalies”

• “Artificial origin” speculation was spreading on social media

• YouTube was seeing an uptick in speculative videos

• Professional astronomers around the globe were intensifying their interest

Amid this, NASA had to clarify:

“What is actually being observed, as hard data?”

The agency needed to provide this primary layer of information.

3) A global message: “NASA is observing and tracking this object”

For a rare object like an interstellar comet — something even a single generation of scientists may encounter only a few times — demonstrating that NASA can:

“Coordinate a large, distributed observation network and maintain continuous tracking”

has both scientific and political significance in terms of international presence and capability.

4) Moving from a one-off news item to a permanent “official archive”

NASA has created a dedicated “Comet 3I/ATLAS” page on its official domain.

This is the foundation of a long-term archive to be referenced by future research, and signals that 3I/ATLAS is not just a passing news story, but a scientific object of lasting importance.

5. What NASA’s Observations Tell Us About 3I/ATLAS

(In this section, we focus strictly on the “facts” officially confirmed by NASA from its September–October observations.)

NASA’s November 19 release is not about the very latest images. Rather, it is a compendium of data taken in September and October.

Consequently, the “facts” NASA reports at this stage and the content that Loeb discusses — based on November and later images — are simply based on different time windows.

We begin by summarizing the scientific characteristics NASA has compiled.

5-1. Brightness: The Comet Was “Brighter Than Expected”

Across all articles, NASA’s assessment is simple:

“3I/ATLAS turned out to be brighter than expected.”

In particular, for:

• STEREO

• SOHO

• PUNCH

pre-campaign estimates had suggested:

“It may be too faint to detect.”

Yet, by using:

• Stacking

• High-cadence observing modes

• Noise filtering

• Integrated imaging techniques

every mission managed to detect a brightness increase.

In short, NASA is officially taking the position that:

As 3I/ATLAS penetrated deeper into the solar system, its activity increased and it brightened.

5-2. The Coma (Gas Cloud Around the Nucleus) Is Clearly Extended

In Lucy’s L’LORRI images:

• The central “nucleus” is relatively small

• Around it, a well-developed coma of gas and dust is clearly visible

• The coma shape is asymmetric, biased toward the Sun

This is typical cometary behavior.

PUNCH’s imagery likewise shows:

• A round white coma

• A tail extending to the lower right

NASA interprets the asymmetry of the coma as:

“A result of dayside sublimation,”

i.e., gas and dust sublimating preferentially from the Sun-facing side.

(This same phrasing appears in the November 11 paper by Jewitt & Luu.)

5-3. The Tail Extends Short Distance in the Anti-Solar Direction

SOHO, PUNCH, and Lucy all agree that the tail points:

Away from the Sun (anti-solar direction).

This is the classic direction in which dust is pushed by solar radiation pressure and the solar wind.

NASA notes that:

• In September, the tail was short

• In October, it lengthened somewhat

• By November, it would likely appear longer still

However, as of November 19, NASA had not yet released November images.(The subsequent evolution of the tail is what Loeb and others are now discussing.)

5-4. Composition: UV Data Suggest “Ice Sublimation Dominates”

From MAVEN, MRO, and other Mars missions, the following species have been indicated:

• H₂O

• OH (a photodissociation product of H₂O)

• CO

• CO₂

This is the typical pattern of volatile outgassing from ices. NASA has not yet published quantitative values, but given MAVEN’s clear UV detections, NASA’s current stance can be summarized as:

“3I/ATLAS is a predominantly icy comet — an interstellar iceberg.”

5-5. The Nucleus Is Likely “Very Small”

From:

• Hubble’s early observations

• Lucy’s L’LORRI data

• Light curve estimates

NASA maintains that:

“The nucleus is comparatively small (probably on the order of a few hundred meters).”

No explicit number is given, but this is important for comparisons with:

• 1I/ʻOumuamua (tens to ~100 meters)

• 2I/Borisov (about 1 km)

5-6. Orbit: It Will Simply “Slip Through” the Solar System and Never Return

Across all its articles, NASA consistently presents the following orbital facts:

• Perihelion passage: October 2025

• Closest approach to Earth: Dec. 19, 2025 (approximately 167 million miles (1.79 AU))

• Afterwards: it will pass beyond Jupiter’s orbit and back into interstellar space

• It will never return to the solar system

NASA describes this succinctly as:

“Never to return.”

6. NASA’s Announcements and Loeb’s Arguments Operate in Different “Phases”

This is a key point we especially want Acima readers to understand clearly.

NASA’s November 19 publications are based on:

“Observations from September and October — when the comet was still near perihelion.”

By contrast, Loeb and Jewitt/Luu are now discussing:

“The latest images from November 11 and November 20 and beyond.”

The time axis is fundamentally different, so the objects of discussion are offset as follows.

6-1. What NASA Is Handling (Baseline Data)

• Brightness variations (Sept.–Oct.)

• Coma asymmetry

• Short early tail

• Basic orbit

• UV spectral composition range

• Early activity levels

NASA is taking a highly conservative stance, describing only those conclusions that are firmly supported by observation.

6-2. What Loeb Is Handling (Latest Anomalies)

Loeb is focusing on phenomena such as:

• Reversal of the anti-tail (Nordic Optical Telescope, Nov. 11)

• Side jets forming an “X-shaped” structure (published Nov. 20)

• Splitting and rapid reversal of tail directions

• Jets that appear unusually strong on the Sun-facing side

• A growing list of what he calls “12 anomalies”

NASA has not yet incorporated these November features into its public November 19 dataset — the images and analyses simply were not ready at that time.

6-3. Difference in Rhetorical Stance

• NASA:

  “We are observing. Here is what the data say.”

• Loeb:

  “There are anomalies. Are these natural or artificial? We should debate this.”

NASA is engaged in cautious disclosure of facts,while Loeb is pushing active hypothesis-driven, critical discussion.

Their roles and purposes differ — and therefore, they do not necessarily contradict each other.

7. Acima’s Perspective: Where Does the Scientific Debate Stand Now?

If we integrate the information from both NASA and Loeb, we can sketch the current landscape of the scientific discussion as follows.

7-1. NASA Is Still in the “Safe Zone”

NASA continues to emphasize:

• Coma

• Tail

• Brightness

• UV spectra

• Overall cometary activity

In other words, NASA is highlighting characteristics that are typical of ordinary comets.

At this stage, NASA is deliberately limiting itself to what can be explained as a natural comet and has not yet publicly engaged with the alleged anomalies.

7-2. Loeb Argues That “The Number of Anomalies Is Growing”

Loeb identifies as “anomalous”:

• Anti-tail reversal

• Emergence of X-shaped structures

• Strong Sun-ward jet bias

• Asymmetric brightness evolution

• Multi-component tail structures

• Peculiarities in the observed “speed” and dynamics

Some of these are difficult to reconcile with standard natural models alone, and Loeb is intentionally taking on the role of:

“The person who presses the community to debate.”

7-3. Observers Worldwide Are Starting to Question “NASA’s Silence”

On X (Twitter) and other platforms, observers are increasingly asking:

• “Why hasn’t NASA released more images from November onward?”

• “SOHO is observing the Sun every day — where are the additional 3I/ATLAS images?”

From the Acima editorial perspective, the most reasonable interpretation for now is:

“NASA likely has not yet completed image processing and verification.”

As a scientific institution, NASA must never release misleading or incorrect data. Given that imperative, a cautious pace is entirely to be expected.

8. Summary: NASA’s November 19 Releases Are a “Preservation-Grade Scientific Archive”

On November 19, 2025, NASA simultaneously released five different articles on 3I/ATLAS — an extremely rare move.

We can summarize its significance as follows:

(1) A milestone where “all September–October data” could be laid out

Data from STEREO, SOHO, PUNCH, Lucy, Psyche, and the Mars missions had converged, allowing NASA to say:

“Up to this point, these are the things we can state with confidence.”

(2) Surging global attention and explosive demand for primary information

Loeb’s series of articles, viral spread on social media, and rising numbers of YouTube analysis videos created a situation in which not only the scientific community but also the general public was watching closely.

NASA needed to provide an authoritative factual foundation.

(3) NASA’s own creation of a dedicated “3I/ATLAS page” as an official archive

Within NASA’s official domain, truly comprehensive pages dedicated to a single object are rare.

This underscores that 3I/ATLAS is being treated as an object of high scientific and historical value.

(4) An unprecedented number of missions (12)

Compared to 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov, the scale is on a completely different level.

This is effectively the first time in history that NASA has mobilized 12 spacecraft and observatories in a coordinated effort for a single interstellar object.

(5) A “baseline dataset” ahead of future NASA announcements

Looking ahead, NASA is expected to release:

• Images from November onward

• Post-perihelion activity patterns

• Data on anti-tail reversal

• Detailed dust jet morphology

• JWST spectral datasets

• SPHEREx analysis results

From Acima’s viewpoint, the November 19 release represents:

“A foundational baseline data collection, preceding a future phase of more detailed announcements.”

9. For Junior High School Readers: The NASA 11/19 3I/ATLAS Summary in Simple Terms

At Acima, we always try to make difficult science news accessible to younger readers as well. Here is a simplified summary for junior high school students.

🟦 (1) What Is 3I/ATLAS?

• It is a “piece of rock and ice” from outside our solar system.

• It is the third interstellar object in history (after 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov).

• Once it passes through, it will never come back to our solar system.

🟩 (2) Why Did NASA Use 12 Different Spacecraft?

3I/ATLAS is an extremely rare object. To make the most of this chance, NASA used as many spacecraft and telescopes as possible:

• Spacecraft orbiting Mars

• Spacecraft that watch regions near the Sun

• Telescopes far out in deep space

• Probes traveling far from Earth

By looking from many different angles, scientists can better understand:

• The comet’s shape and motion

• What it is made of

• How it changes as it moves through the solar system

🟧 (3) What Had NASA Learned by September–October?

• It was brighter than expected

• A cloud of gas called a coma surrounded the nucleus

• A tail stretched away from the Sun

• Ice on the surface was melting (sublimating) into gas

• The nucleus was probably small (a few hundred meters across)

So far, everything looked mostly like a “normal comet.”

🟥 (4) But After November, Strange Phenomena Started Appearing (NASA Hasn’t Announced These Yet)

According to Loeb’s reports, later observations show:

• A tail that extended toward the Sun, in the “wrong” direction

• Tail directions that changed rapidly

• An X-shaped pattern of bright jets

• Strong gas jets pointing toward the Sun

NASA has not yet given detailed explanations of these November-and-later phenomena.

🟪 (5) What Is the Situation in the Scientific Community Now?

• NASA is currently publishing data from September and October, which can be explained by normal comet physics.

• Loeb is actively discussing the new, unusual behaviors seen in November and beyond.

So we can say that:

“Scientists around the world are now waiting for all the data and analyses to come together.”

10. References (NASA Official Links)

Below are the five articles and related pages NASA released on November 19, 2025:

• NASA’s STEREO Observes Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

• NASA/ESA’s SOHO Observes Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

• NASA’s PUNCH Spies Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

• NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Snaps Photos of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

• View Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Through NASA’s Multiple Lenses

• Dedicated NASA page: Comet 3I/ATLAS

This article was originally written in Japanese based entirely on NASA’s official sources, translated and restructured by the ACIMA WORLD NEWS Editorial Team, and subsequently rendered into English.

11. Notice from ACIMA

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• Support in 65 languages, including English and Japanese

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12. We Welcome Your Thoughts

What did you think about this NASA special report? How do you view the contrast between NASA’s approach and Professor Avi Loeb’s perspectives, and the fact that NASA mobilized twelve missions to observe 3I/ATLAS?

We would love to hear your thoughts and impressions.

Please feel free to share your comments below.