NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover has captured an unusual image of a streak of light in the Martian sky, but it’s unclear if this is actually interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. The European Space Agency (ESA) predicted that 3I/ATLAS would pass close to Mars on October 4, but neither NASA nor the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has confirmed the sighting.
The rover’s Right Navigation Camera (Navcam) took an image of a light streak in the sky, which some speculate could be comet 3I/ATLAS. However, scientists say that the cylindrical shape of the object in the image is likely due to camera integration time and not the actual comet.
Comet 3I/ATLAS is currently making its way past Mars, having made its closest approach on October 3. NASA has used other spacecraft to capture images of the comet, including the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. It’s unclear how the ongoing US government shutdown will affect these plans.
Despite the uncertainty, the image from the Perseverance rover is generating excitement among space enthusiasts. While some speculate that the object could be an alien spacecraft, most experts agree that it’s just a natural phenomenon.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/did-nasas-perseverance-mars-rover-just-see-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-in-the-martian-night-sky