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A comet from another solar system, known as 3I/ATLAS, is about to reach its closest point to our sun. 3I/ATLAS is only the third-ever interstellar comet that has been discovered, sparking significant excitement among scientists in the field. “This is only the third such interstellar comet we’ve ever been able to study, and planetary scientists are super excited to learn about what comets in other solar systems are like,” Jason Wright, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics and director of the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center at Pennsylvania State University, told Newsweek earlier this month. On Wednesday, the comet will reach its closest point to the sun, known as perihelion, which usually results in conditions that provide the ideal circumstances for scientists to gain a better understanding and glimpse of the comet’s composition. What To Know The comet was discovered on July 1 this year by the NASA-funded ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, and given its official name, 3I/ATLAS. NASA determined it “poses no threat to Earth,” and that it will remain at a distance of at least 240 million kilometers from the planet. Because of its distance from both the Sun and Earth, 3I/ATLAS will remain too dim to be seen without a telescope on Wednesday. The comet was faintly observable through powerful telescopes between July and September, but it became harder to detect as it moved closer to the Sun’s glare in the sky. By early December, 3I/ATLAS will move away from the Sun’s vicinity, and its glare, and will be visible again in the Northern Hemisphere with its closest pass to Earth occurring on December 19. Stay with Newsweek for the latest updates. This image provided by NASA/European Space Agency shows an image captured by Hubble of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on July 21, 2025, when the comet was 277 million miles from Earth. (NASA/European Space Agency via AP)
