Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS To Make Its Closest Approach To Earth Tonight: Timing, How To Watch, And More

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internet has been going crazy on the possibilities and buzz created by 3I/ATLAS. The comet is all set to reach its closest point to Earth on December 19, 2025. For those who are unaware, the comet was discovered on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS telescope network in Chile. Until now, it is only the third confirmed interstellar object known to have passed via our solar system after the 1I/Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. The steep path of the comet shows that its origin is not around the sun, and it is bound to leave our solar system forever.

When Will 3I/ATLAS Come Closest To Earth?

As per the orbital calculation from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Horizons systems, comet 3I/ATLAS will reach its minimum distance from Earth at 1:00 AM EST on December 19, which means around 11:00 AM as per the Indian Standard Time (IST) on December 20, 2025. At the mentioned time, the comet will be around 1.8 astronomical units away from the Earth, which converts to around 270 million kilometres.

Is Earth In Danger Due To 3I/ATLAS?

No, not even the slightest, because even after getting close, the comet 3I/ATLAS will be around 170 miles away from the Earth, that 700 times more than the distance between the Moon and Earth. And the same has also been confirmed by the European Space Agency, that said the comet is not gonna collide with Earth as the distance is humongous.Also Read: 3I/ATLAS Interstellar Comet Heads Towards Earth On December 19: Are We Safe?

How To Watch 3I/ATLAS?

So, the 3I/ATLAS will not be visible to the naked eye. Nonetheless, the skywatchers can use a telescope with an aperture of at least 30 centimeters in order to have the chance to observe it. In the pre-dawn hours, they should look in the east to nothreast direction. The comet will appear just below Regulus, which is the brightest star in constellation Leo.