Comet 3I/ATLAS is making headlines as it approaches the Sun today, October 29. This comet has been classified as an interstellar object by NASA, marking it as only the third confirmed visitor from beyond our solar system.
Traveling on a hyperbolic trajectory, Comet 3I/ATLAS is not gravitationally bound to the Sun, which means it will eventually leave our solar system permanently. Its closest encounter with the Sun, known as perihelion, will occur at a distance of approximately 1.36 astronomical units, equivalent to over 200 million kilometers.
After this significant solar passage, astronomers anticipate that the comet will become visible again in the eastern sky before dawn around November 11. However, due to its expected faintness, large telescopes will be necessary for observation, as it will not be bright enough to see with the naked eye.
