Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS heads for the outer solar system after its closest approach to Earth
On Friday (Dec. 19), the interstellar invader, comet 3I/ATLAS, made its closest approach to Earth, coming to within 168 million miles (270 million kilometers) of our planet at 1 a.m. EST (0600 GMT). Following this close approach and the opportunity it offers to investigate this interloper from beyond the solar system, 3I/ATLAS will begin to…