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Space
Space
Science
Robert Lea

Farewell, comet 3I/ATLAS! Interstellar visitor heads for the outer solar system after its closest approach to Earth

Solar System 3I 3IAtlas Sun NASA
Earth in the background on the left and view of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas on the right.

On Friday (Dec. 19), the interstellar invader, comet 3I/ATLAS, made its closest approach to Earth, coming to within 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) of our planet at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT).

Following this close approach and the opportunity it offers to investigate this interloper from beyond the solar system, 3I/ATLAS will begin to move back out to the outer regions of the solar system, before leaving altogether to continue its voyage through the Milky Way.

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