Comet 3I/ATLAS was spotted in July, and it was revealed that this comet will be at its closest approach to Earth today. However, you need not worry about any collision from this comet, as it poses no threat and will be about 170 million miles away, which is nearly twice the average distance between Earth and the Sun.
Comet 3I/ATLAS is making its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 19, but don’t worry: it poses no threat and will be about 170 million miles away. To celebrate we're going live on @Reddit!
Join our experts for an Ask Me Anything tomorrow at 1:30pm EST in r/space:… pic.twitter.com/lDhvDNJZQH
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) December 18, 2025
The comet will reach its minimum distance from Earth at 1 AM EST (0600 GMT) on December 19. The Virtual Telescope Project will host a free livestream on YouTube (at 09:30 AM on 20 December). Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object, following 1I/’Oumuamua in 2017 and comet 2I/Borisov in 2019.
The flyby holds significance for researchers as astronomers will have the opportunity to study the dust and gases released from its icy nucleus as the comet is warmed by the sun, offering insight into how comets and planetary material form around other stars.
To celebrate this moment, NASA is going live on Reddit, where interested users can join NASA’s experts for an Ask Me Anything today at 1:30 PM EST in r/space.
Stay tuned with The Tech Outlook for more latest updates.
