Summary
Comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object, passed through our solar system. It came closest to Earth in December 2025 but posed no threat. The comet is on a path that will eventually lead it out of the solar system.
Key Facts
- Comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025, by a telescope in Chile.
- It is one of only three known interstellar objects to enter our solar system.
- The comet came closest to Earth on December 19, 2025, at 168 million miles away.
- This distance is over 700 times the distance between Earth and the moon.
- It was not visible to the naked eye but could be seen through telescopes.
- The comet is on a hyperbolic path, meaning it is not orbiting the sun and will leave the solar system.
- It approached from the Sagittarius constellation and was closest to the sun on October 30, 2025.
