"We were excited to see the growth of the tail, suggesting a change in the particles from the previous Gemini images."

Astronomers have captured a stunning image of a tail growing on interstellar invader Comet 3I/ATLAS. The image was captured on Aug. 27, 2025, by a team of scientists and students using the Gemini South telescope located on Cerro Pachón in Chile.

All of these objects offer scientists a unique opportunity to study material from another planetary system, and the growing tail of 3I/ATLAS is a tantalizing glimpse at the material that lies within this comet. But this opportunity is limited; as happened with ‘Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, 3I/ATLAS’ orbit will eventually carry out of the solar system.