Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS zooms past Earth at 220570km/h
Say hello to 3I/ATLAS, the third-ever interstellar object spotted in our solar system.
Discovered in July 2025, it's racing through space at a wild 220570km/h and won't be circling back—its path takes it straight out of the solar system after reaching its closest point to the Sun back in October.
How close did it get—and what's special about it?
On December 19, 2025, ATLAS cruised by Earth at a safe distance of about 170 million miles.
Its icy core is surrounded by an active cloud (coma) that's blasting out dust—a behavior typical of comets, where tiny grains shoot out much faster than larger ones.
Scientists noticed its coma reflects light, hinting at a mix of ice and dark material.
Can you see it?
If you've got a small telescope and some patience for early mornings, you can still spot ATLAS in the pre-dawn sky until spring 2026.
It'll be faint (dimmer than magnitude 12), but catching sight of this rare visitor is worth an early wake-up!