Comet 3I/ATLAS was first detected on July 1, 2025, by astronomers analyzing data collected by a telescope scanning the sky as part of the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) project. A frenzied analysis of its orbit swiftly led scientists to conclude that it was just the third interstellar visitor to our solar system, behind 1I/ 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to the sun on Oct. 31, 2025, around which time it disappeared for weeks behind the glare of a parent star. It later emerged to perform its closest proximity pass of Earth — an event known as perigee — on Dec. 19. It's due to make a planetary flyby in March later this year, when it will pass 33.4 million miles (53.7 million km) from Jupiter before continuing on its one-way journey out of the solar system, never to be seen again.
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