Interstellar comet 3I\/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on Friday, Dec. 19, marking a key moment in the journey of one of the rarest visitors ever observed in our solar system.<\/p>\n
Discovered on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescopes in Chile, 3I\/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object known to have passed through our cosmic neighborhood, following 1I\/‘Oumuamua<\/a> in 2017 and comet 2I\/Borisov in 2019. Its trajectory shows that it originated from beyond our solar system and will eventually travel back into interstellar space<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During its closest approach, the comet will come no nearer than about 1.8 astronomical units from Earth<\/a> \u2014 roughly 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) \u2014 nearly twice the average Earth-sun distance, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).<\/a> Comet 3I\/ATLAS poses no danger to Earth or any other planets as it passes through the inner solar system<\/a>.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n While the comet will keep a safe distance from Earth, the flyby still holds significance for researchers. By observing 3I\/ATLAS near its closest approach, astronomers will have an opportunity to study the dust and gases released from its icy nucleus as the comet<\/a> is warmed by the sun<\/a>, offering a rare insight into how comets and planetary material form around other stars.<\/p>\n In recent months, multiple space agencies and observatories have turned their attention to this interstellar visitor. Just last week, new images captured<\/a> by the Hubble Space Telescope<\/a> and JUICE Jupiter probe were released, showing the fleeting traveller racing through the inner solar system.<\/p>\n You can also follow the close approach of 3I\/ATLAS online in a free livestream hosted by Gianluca Masi at the Virtual Telescope Project. The livestream<\/a> will begin at 11 p.m. EST on Dec. 18 (0400 GMT on Dec. 19), weather permitting. More information will be released closer to the time.<\/p>\n