Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS makes 1st-ever visit to our solar system
NASA's ATLAS telescope has discovered a rare visitor from beyond our solar system—comet 3I/ATLAS.
It's only the third confirmed interstellar object ever found here, and its path shows it came from outside the Sun's reach.
Earth safe from interstellar comet
Don't worry, Earth is safe—3I/ATLAS will never come closer than about 170 million miles (270 million kilometers) to Earth.
On October 3, it'll swing by Mars (about 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) from the planet), then get closest to the Sun on October 30 before heading out past Jupiter in March 2026.
How to track the interstellar comet
The comet will be hidden behind the Sun for a bit in late October but should reappear by December.
NASA and ESA telescopes—including Hubble and James Webb—are gearing up to watch its journey.
You can even track it yourself in real time with NASA's Eyes on the Solar System tool!