Another 'Leaked' Render Of 3I/ATLAS Appears On Internet, Visualising the Interstellar Comet As An Alien Spaceship

Hyderabad: A render of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has appeared on social media, creating another buzz. The image was shared by a user on X, claiming to have been released by the Japanese space agency JAXA, created using spectrum analysis and imagery data. The space agency, however, has not confirmed the image and thus could be a work of pure imagination by an individual.

This is not the first time that an alleged render of the comet made its way to social media. Earlier this month, another user shared a completely different visualisation of the comet, claiming it to be a leaked picture taken by NASA.

Alongside this, a Live Science report suggests that Chinese astronomer Qicheng Zhang has captured images of the comet, which showcase a green glow. The image was captured using a filter used to detect diatomic carbon (C2) particles.

Scientists believe that the comet could be made up of carbon dioxide and ice materials formed in cold star systems, as Zhang observed several large molecules in the comet to contain carbon and hydrogen (hydrocarbons). When the comet gets close to the Sun, these molecules break apart due to ultraviolet (UV) light. “It’s sort of for the same reason that if we stay out in the sun too long without sunscreen, we get sunburnt," Zhang told the publication.

Why are the celestial bodies like 3I/ATLAS significant?

Astronomers use interstellar comets like 3I/ATLAS to understand the formation of celestial bodies in other star systems. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed that 3I/ATLAS poses no risk as it maintains a safe distance from Earth throughout its passage.

The trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

3I/ATLAS: Discovery, origin, and interstellar journey

The 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025, by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile. According to the space agency’s Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the celestial body’s orbital path extends beyond our solar system, making it an interstellar object.

Indian astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) photographed the interstellar comet, using the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) of the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) at Hanle, Ladakh, on the night of July 3, 2025.

3I/ATLAS interstellar comet with green glow. (Image Credit: Qicheng Zhang/Lowell Observatory)

Last month, the European Space Agency (ESA) captured some incredible images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS when it flew past Mars on October 3, 2025, using ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Mars Express spacecraft. Earlier this week, China's Tianwen 1 Mars orbiter also imaged the 3I/ATLAS during its close pass by the Red Planet, aiding global efforts to study the rare interstellar object.

NASA stated that 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar visitor, after 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. “I” in its name represents “interstellar,” while “3” indicates its order of discovery.

Scientists from NASA explained that the comet’s hyperbolic orbital path confirms its interstellar origin. Its orbital path indicates that it does not circle the Sun and will never return once it leaves the solar system.

The European Space Agency (ESA) call such comets “outsiders,” as they carry physical remains from distant star systems. Every planet, moon, and comet within our solar system formed from the same nebula, but interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS come from beyond that origin.