Overview
- 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth on December 19 at roughly 170 million miles, with experts stressing no impact risk.
- NASA confirmed Parker Solar Probe’s WISPR imaged the comet from October 18 to November 5, collecting about 10 frames per day.
- Teams are calibrating the WISPR dataset to remove stray sunlight and exposure differences before final scientific analysis.
- Other heliophysics missions, including PUNCH, STEREO and SOHO, also tracked the object, providing complementary coverage when ground-based viewing was limited.
- The comet is now outbound on a hyperbolic path and is expected to pass near Jupiter in March 2026, as early reports of volatile-rich chemistry continue to be assessed.