On December 19, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest approach to Earth. At that time, it will be about 270 million kilometers away and pose no threat to our planet.
3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1 by the ATLAS telescopes in Chile and is only the third known interstellar object in history to be observed in the solar system. Although it will not be visible to the naked eye, the comet's passage has great scientific value, as it allows us to study the materials formed in other star systems.
