Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will soon make closest approach to Earth

Technology Oct 23, 2025

Comet 3I/ATLAS, spotted by the ATLAS telescope in Chile this July, is making headlines as only the third known interstellar visitor to our Solar System.
It'll swing close to the Sun on October 29, passing just inside the orbit of Mars, and then come within 1.8 AU of Earth on December 19, 2025—don't worry, it's not a threat.

NASA, ESA spacecraft will fly through comet's tail

ESA's Hera and NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft are set to fly through the comet's tail between late October and early November.
Scientists are excited for a rare chance to study what an interstellar comet is made of, especially as 3I/ATLAS is actively shedding gas and dust thanks to carbon dioxide heating up as it nears the Sun.