NASA is back on the world stage after a month of frustrating silence caused by the recent US government shutdown. They are bringing with them a stunning new look at one of the most important astronomical events of the decade. The space agency has ended its forced digital fast by releasing new pictures of the interstellar traveler known as Comet 3I/ATLAS.
This celestial nomad has fascinated both experienced astronomers and internet conspiracy theorists. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the Parker Solar Probe took these pictures during the peak of the blackout. They show the Manhattan-sized nucleus in the highest resolution yet.
