The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is once again approaching Earth and will be at its closest point to our planet Friday as it travels back toward Jupiter and through the solar system.
The comet, NASA says, is only the third space object known to have come from outside the solar system and then passed through it on its way through space. It was discovered in Jupiter’s orbit by a NASA-funded telescope in Chile and reported to the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center on July 1.
On Friday, 3I/ATLAS will be about 170 million miles away from Earth, the closest the comet will come on its journey — almost twice the distance between Earth and the sun. It originated somewhere else in the Milky Way galaxy and has been traveling for millions or even billions of years, NASA said.
People wanting to find 3I/ATLAS can use a small telescope during the pre-dawn hours; the comet will remain visible from Earth until spring 2026.
3I/ATLAS is somewhere between 1,444 feet and 3.5 miles in size, NASA said.
As it approached the sun, it reached speeds of 153,000 mph, but it slowed after moving away from the sun. When it was discovered near Jupiter, it was traveling at about 137,000 mph.
The comet is once again heading toward Jupiter and will be within 33 million miles of the massive gas planet in March. 3I/ATLAS will exit the solar system and then reach interstellar space in the mid-2030s, never to return again, NASA Center for Near Earth Object Studies Director Paul Chodas said, according to The Associated Press.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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