Are the images of comet 3I/ATLAS fake? This is what NASA said

After the NASA will reveal a series of images of the comet 3I/ATLAS Last Wednesday, the theory began to circulate that these could be fake because the object is observed too much blurred.

Therefore, the US organization issued a message in its social networkswhere he explained why the photos look like that.

A clearer picture of interstellar phenomenon It can be obtained in a few weeks, when it has its closest passage to our planet.

NASA’s explanation regarding the photos of comet 3I/ATLAS

on Wednesday November 19, after the services of the Government of the United States returned to normal functioning USAthe NASA gave a conference in which he shared images unknown of comet ATLAS.

In them, which are mostly blurredthe interstellar object is observed at a very distant distance, so you can barely glimpse a white dot among many others and in the middle of the dark immensity of space.

Comet 3I/ATLAS, captured by NASA’s Lucy probe. Photo: NASA

For this reason, in the hours after the agency’s revelation, the possibility that the images were fakesince they do not show the phenomenon with the clarity that has been shown to other space objects.

However, quickly, to stop this speculation, the NASA posted a tweet in which he reported why the comet photos have this level of quality.

According to the organization, «there are many reasons» why they are blurry, but, mainly, it is because space ships who took them They were not specifically designed to capture objects like the ATLAS.

In detail, he explained that his devices were designed to follow larger and more stable phenomena, but that he took advantage of the close passage of the comet to point their cameras at it and take the images that were known.

The ATLAS, photographed by NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft. Photo: NASA/Goddard/LASP/CU Boulder

To account for what was said, NASA showed two photos taken by its HiRISE telescope, designed to monitor Marte.

In one of them, the surface of this planet is seen very clearly, which shows that the instrument fulfills its task perfectly. In the other, a blurred white dot is observed on a completely black background: it is nothing more than the comet ATLAS, occasionally captured by the same telescope.

In the final lines of its publication, and with an ironic tone that seems intended for those who demand greater quality in the images, the agency stated: «Although it is not material for the cover of a magazine, it is very useful from a scientific point of view!»

Despite the above, the astronomical community maintains hope of obtaining better images of comet ATLAS, and to this end, the object’s upcoming passage through Earth is eagerly awaited.

When will comet 3I/ATLAS approach Earth?

He 3I/ATLASfirst reported on July 1, 2025, is the third interstellar object known (hence its name «3» «I»), after the discovery of 1I/Oumuamua, in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, in 2019.

However, this comet has many peculiarities, such as a very high speed and enormous size, which make it a different species from its predecessors. Therefore, the astronomical community is looking forward to the day when it reaches its closest point to Earth, to be able to photograph and study it better.

According to what was reported by the NASAthis will happen when placed at a distance estimated to be 1.8 astronomical units (approximately 270 million kilometers) in relation to our planet.

According to the organization, the event will occur in December 2025 and, despite alarming theories, will not pose a threat to the Earth, because the object will pass quite far from it.

A few days ago, the European Space Agency He went further and set the exact date on which the comet will reach this point: next December 19.

Although the phenomenon cannot be seen by the human eye, it will be the period in which specialized teams will be able to observe it clearly. Scientists hope that the approach of the object will allow us to clearly visualize the characteristics that make it different from other comets recorded in the past.