Summary:
- In December 2025, a rare interstellar comet named 3I/ATLAS is expected to make a close approach to Earth, passing within about 10 million miles (16 million kilometers) of our planet.
- Interstellar comets are objects that originate from outside our solar system and are traveling through space. 3I/ATLAS is only the second interstellar comet ever detected in our solar system.
- This close encounter will provide scientists with a unique opportunity to study the composition and characteristics of an interstellar object, which could offer valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our solar system and other planetary systems.