A long-awaited set of high-resolution NASA photographs may soon clarify whether the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is a natural visitor or something far more unusual.
The release of new images of 3I/ATLAS, captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera between 1 October and 7 October 2025, is expected as early as next week. The photographs were delayed during the recent US government shutdown, which ended on 12 November 2025, leaving the material temporarily withheld. An agency source confirmed that the images, once cleared, will be the sharpest views of the Manhattan-sized object so far.
