Comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered on July 1, 2025, became the third interstellar object ever detected passing through our Solar System. Its hyperbolic orbit, which does not follow a closed path around the Sun, confirms that it originates from outside our cosmic neighborhood.
What is known about Comet 3I/ATLAS?
This interstellar traveler will reach its closest point to the Sun on October 30, 2025, placing it approximately 1.4 AU (210 million kilometers) just inside the orbit of Mars.
NASA’s first observations, conducted until August 2025, show that the comet’s nucleus does not exceed 5.6 kilometers in diameter. Its study is a priority for the international scientific community, which is already analyzing it from ground-based observatories and with the support of unmanned space probes.
Comet 3I/ATLAS provides a unique opportunity to deepen our knowledge of objects that originate from outside the Solar System and their possible origins in other stars.
Since 2017, we have discovered three interstellar objects that have crossed our cosmic neighborhood.
The first known celestial object was 1I/2017 U1 ‘Oumuamua, whose name means “messenger who arrives first from afar” in ?Olelo Hawai’i, the native language of Hawaii. It was discovered on October 19, 2017.
The second was Comet 2I/Barysov, discovered on August 30, 2019. At about 0.98 kilometers in diameter, it was relatively small.
3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object discovered to date. The comet will approach Earth on December 19 at a distance of 274 million kilometers, or 170 million miles.
Published: 12/19/2025
(Tattentranslate)name(s) of comet 3i/atlas
