Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS | Closest Approach to Earth | View from Utah

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS | Closest Approach to Earth | View from Utah

3I/ATLAS with its two tails. In the distant background, galaxies in the constellation Leo are visible. The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025. It passed within about 1.8 astronomical units (approximately 168 million miles) from our planet, providing a unique opportunity for astronomers to study its composition and behavior.

The NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile discovered the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025.

Comet 3I/ATLAS appears relatively normal when compared to Solar System comets, therefore providing more evidence that our Solar System is a somewhat typical one. For example, Comet 3I/ATLAS has a broadly similar chemical composition and ejected dust.

Learn more about Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS:
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/3i-atlas/

Utah is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northeast, Idaho to the north, and Nevada to the west. 

Image Credit: Dr. Sebastian Voltmer
Location: The state of Utah, United States

Image Details: 74 min total exposure time, L-RGB image captured with a PlaneWave Delta Rho 500 and a ZWO ASI 6200M Pro camera

Dr. Voltmer 's website: https://instagram.com/sebastianvoltmer
Release Date: Dec. 18, 2025

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