TSSC comet-centered data products from TESS 3I/ATLAS observations

TL;DR

This paper presents TESS-based high-level data products for the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, including corrected image time series and light curves, enabling detailed analysis of the comet's activity during its Solar System passage.

Contribution

The authors developed and publicly released comet-centered data products from TESS observations, tailored for Solar System science, which are novel in utilizing TESS data for interstellar object analysis.

Findings

Data products are publicly available at MAST.

High-precision photometry captures comet activity.

Corrected images reduce background noise.

Abstract

3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to pass through our Solar System. NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) made dedicated observations of 3I/ATLAS between 15 -- 22 January 2026 (Sector 1751), capturing high-cadence observations at 200s and 20s cadence. We present two High Level Science Products (HLSPs): (1) comet-centered image time series, corrected for background scattered light and stars; and (2) aperture light curves extracted from the corrected images. We created these data products using the official TESS products and they are publicly available at the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes (MAST). TESS's high-precision, near-continuous photometry will provide unique insights into the comet's activity following its closest approach to the Sun. The TESS Science Support Center (TSSC) has created these data products to facilitate scientific analyses by the TESS and Solar System communities.