Not solely NASA, but additionally the UN is monitoring the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which is able to make its closest strategy to Earth on December 19

The Worldwide Asteroid Warning Community (IAWN) is monitoring the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which is able to strategy Earth inside 270 million kilometers on December 19. This statement is a part of a marketing campaign to enhance the measurement of comet and asteroid trajectories.

The UN Worldwide Asteroid Warning Community (IAWN) is actively monitoring the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which is able to make its closest strategy to Earth on December 19, at a distance of about 270 million kilometers. This statement is a part of a marketing campaign aimed toward enhancing the technical capabilities of measuring the paths of comets and asteroids. That is reported by Reside Science, writes UNN.

Particulars

In keeping with James Bauer, lead researcher on the IAWN Small Our bodies Node, the community, coordinated by NASA and comprising over 80 observatories worldwide, is conducting an statement marketing campaign for this object. 3I/ATLAS is the primary interstellar object to be tracked since IAWN campaigns started in 2017.

Zwicky Transient Facility in California. Picture: Caltech / Palomar

An unknown phenomenon was recorded at night time within the sky over Ukraine26.08.25, 09:39 • 140782 views

The thought behind these campaigns is definitely to boost the technical capabilities of measuring the positions of asteroids and comets within the sky, which we name astrometry.

– Bauer defined.

Researchers are testing a brand new astrometry methodology that might be helpful for planning potential spacecraft missions to related comets sooner or later.

Bauer famous that though 3I/ATLAS originated outdoors the Photo voltaic System, it displays basic cometary habits. Regardless of this, there are difficulties in precisely measuring its place as a result of variability of its brightness and the instability of its coma (a cloud of fuel and mud). Primarily based on the outcomes of the marketing campaign, IAWN plans to publish its findings in a peer-reviewed journal subsequent yr.

Finest astronomical {photograph} of 2025 named12.09.25, 18:27 • 4807 views