The European Southern Observatory (ESO) released a Video of Cometa 3I/Atlas going through our solar system.
These are the clearest images, so far, of the celestial body that appeared by surprise here. According to ESO, they were obtained with the Fors2 instrument in VLT (Very Large Telescope) on the night of July 3, 2025.
This interstellar visitor was first seen on July 1 this year, and. A few days later, NASA confirmed that the foreign object passing through our cosmic neighborhood is a comet.
Officially baptized 3i/atlasthe comet is just The third interstellar object that goes through our solar system already identified.
The initial detection was performed by the Atlas Research Telescope (Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System), financed by NASA and located in Rio Hurtado, Chile.
The comet, which came from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, probably formed in regions of the distant space before it stops in our solar system.
It represents no threat to planet Earth as it will maintain a minimum distance of at least 1.6 astronomical units (about 240 million km). 3I/Atlas will arrive at its point closer to the sun around 30 October this year, reaching a distance of 1.4 astronomical units (about 210 million km) – a position that will put it slightly inside the orbit of Mars.
Astronomers from around the world are engaged in investigating the size and physical properties of interstellar comet.
Comet is visible in the sky
The best time to try to observe the newly discovered comet in Brazil will be in early October, shortly before dusk near the West Horizon. Then he will also be visible in early November, before dawn, near the east horizon.
To see 3i/atlas, it will be necessary a medium to large telescope with astronomical camera, as the shine will be too weak to be seen with the naked eye.
