Overview
- The third confirmed interstellar object will pass Earth on December 19 at roughly 269–270 million kilometers (about 167 million miles), posing no impact threat and requiring a telescope to view.
- Recent observations show a persistent sunward anti‑tail and a color shift to green attributed to diatomic carbon (C2), with Hubble’s latest imaging on November 30 and XMM‑Newton data on December 3.
- Spectra from multiple observatories indicate elevated carbon dioxide with relatively low water, plus detections of methanol, hydrogen cyanide and atomic nickel, pointing to unusual yet cometary outgassing.
- After the Earth flyby, the comet is projected to pass within about 33 million miles of Jupiter in March 2026 before heading back toward interstellar space.
- NASA leaders say there is no evidence of extraterrestrial technology, and public viewing options include the Virtual Telescope Project’s planned live stream on December 18 at 11 p.m. EST.