interstellar comet nasa.

NASA is unveiling close-up pictures of the interstellar comet that’s making a quick one-and-done tour of our solar system. Discovered over the summer, the comet known as 3I/Atlas is only the third confirmed object to visit from another star. It zipped harmlessly past Mars last month. Several NASA spacecraft at and near the red planet zoomed in on the comet as it passed just 18 million miles away. The closest the comet will come to Earth is 167 million miles in mid-December. Then it will hightail it back into interstellar space, never to return.

A comet from another star system is swinging by Mars as a fleet of spacecraft trains its sights on the interstellar visitor. The comet will hurtle within 18 million miles of the red planet on Friday. Both of the European Space Agency’s satellites around Mars are already aiming their cameras at the speeding comet. NASA’s satellite and rovers at Mars are also available to assist in the observations. It’s only the third interstellar object known to have passed our way. Discovered in July, the comet poses no threat to Earth or neighboring planets.