India’s Himalayan Chandra Telescope spots interstellar comet ATLAS from Ladakh – See images here

Indian Astronomers Capture Rare Interstellar Comet (Representative Image: Canva)

On a chilly night high in Ladakh’s mountains, Indian astronomers captured something rare. Their cameras, pointed skyward from Hanle Observatory, locked onto a visitor from another star. This object, called C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), is the third of its kind ever seen.

Hanle’s Telescope Spots a Speeding Space Traveller

The comet was first confirmed by a Chilean telescope on July 1. At that time, it was 670 million kilometers from the Sun. It was traveling at 61 kilometers per second, an unusually high speed. Experts quickly realised it didn’t belong to our solar system. Its orbit was too steep, its motion too fast. The data showed it came from far beyond our Sun’s reach.

Indian scientists were quick to act. With clear skies and sharp instruments, Hanle Observatory joined the mission. Their photographs of the comet contribute to the expanding global collection of telescope images used to study this brief fleeting visitor.

According to the IIA, this celestial object has drawn global attention from astronomers. To spark curiosity and awareness among students and the public in India, the Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle observed the comet using the Himalayan Chandra Telescope on the night of July 3.

(Image: Indian Institute of Astrophysics)

A gift to the public from the Indian Astronomical Observatory

This is only the third interstellar object ever found. The first was 'Oumuamua in 2017, and the second, Borisov, in 2019. C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) is different—it’s larger, faster, and more active. It carries a cloud of gas and dust around it. This means it is not just a rock but a true comet. Scientists believe it could be over seven billion years old.

Hanle’s images are now part of a worldwide study effort. The comet will reach its closest point to the Sun on 29 October. By then, it will be about 210 million kilometers away—still a fair distance, but close enough to shine brighter in the night sky.

Experts say ATLAS follows a hyperbolic path, not a closed orbit. This path and its high velocity confirm it came from beyond. It entered our Solar System carrying stories from another world.