Archive · 6 Nov 2025
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Completes Perihelion, Visibility Limited to Telescopes
Imagine a visitor from a completely different neighborhood in space, called Comet 3I/ATLAS.
This visitor is like a giant snowball that came from far, far away.
It just flew by our Sun, getting as close as it ever will.
But don't expect to see it easily!
Even though it passed the Sun, it's not bright enough for us to see without a very powerful telescope.
After its close encounter with the Sun, it will appear again in the sky before sunrise around November 11.
This comet is special because it's only the third one ever found to be from outside our solar system.
It's traveling so fast on a path that it won't be staying with our Sun; it's on its way out of our cosmic neighborhood forever.
Comet 3I/ATLAS, identified as an interstellar object, has completed its closest pass to the Sun (perihelion).
The comet will be visible again in the eastern predawn sky around November 11, but only with the aid of large telescopes.
It is the third confirmed visitor from outside our solar system, traveling on a trajectory that will lead it to permanently exit our solar system.
The perihelion occurred at approximately 11:47 UT at a distance of 1.36 astronomical units (over 200 million km) from the Sun.
Visibility will not be possible with the naked eye due to insufficient brightness.
- Who
- Comet 3I/ATLAS, astronomers, NASA
- What
- Comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object, made its closest pass to the Sun (perihelion) and will be visible again in the predawn sky around November 11, though only with telescopes.
- When
- Made closest pass to the Sun today; expected to be visible again around November 11.
- Where
- Interstellar space, within our solar system during its passage by the Sun.
- Why
- The comet is on a hyperbolic trajectory, meaning it is not bound to our Sun and will permanently exit the solar system.
- Object Designation
- 3I/ATLAS
- Classification
- Interstellar comet
- Closest Approach to Sun (Perihelion)
- Today, approximately 11:47 UT
- Distance at Perihelion
- 1.36 AU (over 200 million km)
- Expected Re-emergence in Sky
- Around November 11
- Visibility
- Requires large telescopes; not visible to the naked eye.
