"A comet from another star system is due to make its closestand finalapproach to Earth this week before it continues on its journey back toward interstellar space. Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS will pass within 167 million miles of our planet on Friday, when it will appear to us like a bright star in the night sky. For comparison, Mars is currently around 250 million miles from Earth."
"Scientists have been scrutinizing 3I/ATLAS since its discovery in July, but Friday offers the best opportunity yet to observe the comet: as just the third stray object known to have entered our solar system from interstellar space, 3I/ATLAS holds clues to how solar systems form elsewhere in the universe. The United Nations' International Asteroid Warning Network is also observing 3I/ATLAS, tracking its path through the sky in a bid to strengthen planetary defense against so-called near-Earth objects like comets and asteroids."
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth this week, passing within 167 million miles on Friday and appearing like a bright star in the night sky. Observers with good binoculars or backyard telescopes should be able to spot the comet; Mars is currently about 250 million miles away for comparison. Scientists have monitored 3I/ATLAS since its July discovery, and a Hubble Space Telescope image captured the comet at 226 million miles on July 21, 2025. As the third confirmed interstellar visitor, 3I/ATLAS offers clues to solar system formation. The United Nations' International Asteroid Warning Network is tracking the comet to strengthen planetary defense. The comet's hyperbolic trajectory indicates it is not gravitationally bound to the Sun and will return to interstellar space.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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