Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our solar system to be discovered. Astronomers have categorized this object as interstellar because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path. When the orbit of 3I/ATLAS is traced into the past, the comet clearly originates from outside our solar system. Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth and will remain far away. The closest it will approach our planet is about 270 million kilometers. The interstellar comet’s size and physical properties are being investigated by astronomers around the world. 3I/ATLAS should remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September 2025, after which it will pass too close to the Sun to observe. It will reappear on the other side of the Sun by early December 2025, allowing for renewed observations.
Source:
E.T.: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial by Steven Spielberg, 1982
science.nasa.gov, 01.07.2025