NASA's Juno to study 1st-ever interstellar object 3I/ATLAS up close
NASA's Juno spacecraft might soon get a front-row seat to study 3I/ATLAS, the third-ever interstellar object spotted in our Solar System.
Discovered just last month, 3I/ATLAS will swing by Jupiter in March 2026—giving Juno a shot at observing something that came from outside our cosmic neighborhood.
To make this happen, scientists will tweak Juno's path
To make this flyby happen, scientists plan to tweak Juno's path with a smart maneuver near Jupiter in September.
This move lets the spacecraft zip past 3I/ATLAS right before it gets closest to Jupiter in March 2026.
Juno will use its cameras and sensors to check out
Juno will use its cameras and sensors to check out what 3I/ATLAS is made of and what its environment is like—way more closely than Earth-based telescopes ever could.
This could reveal new clues about where these mysterious visitors come from and help us explore beyond our own Solar System.