Alien origins? Unveiling the source of interstellar comet
Heads up, space fans: interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS—spotted in Chile this July—is about to make its closest pass by the Sun this October.
This rare visitor is only the third confirmed object from outside our solar system to drop by, making it a notable event for astronomers and skywatchers alike.
A look at the comet's journey
You'll be able to spot 3I/ATLAS with ground-based telescopes until September 2025, before it gets too close to the Sun for us to see.
It'll swing just inside Mars's orbit around October 30 but won't come closer than 240 million km to Earth.
If you miss it then, don't worry—it should become visible again in early December as it heads back out of the inner solar system.
Why studying this comet is important
At up to 20km wide with a bright coma and icy core, 3I/ATLAS is giving researchers a rare peek into material from another star system.
Studying its makeup could help us understand how planetary systems—including ours—form and evolve.