Part 2/6:
On October 2nd, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter—a satellite equipped with high-resolution instruments—captured a distant image of the comet. Positioned approximately 19 million miles away from the celestial visitor, the orbiter's closest physical instrument revealed a striking view of Comet 3i Atlas. The comet appeared as a fuzzy, white ball—a characteristic feature for objects at such vast distances. This appearance results from its expansive cloud of dust and ice, known as the coma, which surrounds the solid nucleus of the comet.