Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS swings by Earth tonight
Comet 3I/ATLAS, spotted by NASA's ATLAS telescope in Chile this July, is making its closest pass to Earth tonight at 1:00am EST.
This rare visitor comes from outside our solar system—only the third of its kind ever seen—and will head back into deep space after this brief stop.
What makes it special?
At about 270 million kilometers away, there's zero danger of a collision.
Scientists are excited because the comet has a greenish glow and unusually high levels of nickel and iron.
Tonight is the best and final close opportunity for ground-based study before it disappears forever.
How can you catch a glimpse?
You'll need binoculars or a decent telescope (30cm aperture is ideal)—it's too faint for the naked eye.
Look east-northeast just before dawn on December 19, near the bright star Regulus in Leo, for your best shot at spotting or snapping a photo of this cosmic traveler.