How to Follow the Trajectory of Comet 3I/Atlas
the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas recently reached its perihelion, the point at which it is closest to the sun. It will now move away from the star at about 210,000 kilometers per hour until it escapes from the solar system.
Since its anomalous composition and age are evidence of its extrasolar origin, astronomers have a unique opportunity in front of them. Comet 3I/Atlas (which, contrary to some reports, did not activate the planetary defense protocol) will leave the system in January 2026 and never return. Fortunately, scientists have already accurately calculated its trajectory and are certain about its future behavior.
A simulation of the path 3I/Atlas will take through the solar system. The orbits and velocities are simplified for ease of understanding.Credit: Jorge Garay/Rodrigo Meade/WIRED en Español/Based on data from NASA’s JPL Horizons system.
On December 19, it will pass about 270 million kilometers from Earth, almost 700 times the average distance between our planet and the moon. Astronomers believe that for a few days the most powerful telescopes will be able to observe it to better understand its composition. However, because of its distance, it will be impossible to see it with the naked eye in the sky.
How You Can Follow the Trajectory of 3I/Atlas
So far, the comet has been behaving steadily, and everything indicates that this will remain the case as it passes through the solar system. That means anyone can track its trajectory in real time, even without observing it directly with a telescope.
Websites such as The Sky Live offer continuous monitoring of 3I/Atlas. Its shows the comet’s distance from Earth at all times, as well as the constellation it’s nearest to. It also predicts its coordinates for the next few weeks, giving observers time to prepare. Other sites, such as 3Iatlaslive, use NASA data to generate 2D maps illustrating its path.
You can also find live broadcasts on YouTube that show the comet’s passage through the solar system in real time. Actually, these broadcasts come from a simulator created by NASA as part of the Eyes on the Solar System project. You can explore it for free, even though the agency itself is impacted by the ongoing US government shutdown.
The story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.
