Mysterious 'planet killer' hurtling towards us from distant part of the galaxy revealed

UK Daily Mail ^ | 07/22/2025 | Chris Melore

[DFG]

[al baby]

Good

[BenLurkin]

About time.

[Texas Eagle]

First spotted in late June, the comet named 3I/ATLAS has been on an 800-million-year journey to reach this solar system.

Ohhhkayyy. And how far along are we on this journey?

[BipolarBob]

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapphu that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning, it is by will alone i set my mind in motion.

[JBW1949]

“...It will make its closest pass to Earth on December 17...”

[bk1000]

And after 800 million years of spewing out rocky icy debris there is still anything left of it?

I am skeptical.

[SunkenCiv]

• 7 Big Mysteries about Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS [07/18/2025]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day - 3I/ATLAS [07/17/2025]
• Gemini North Telescope Captures New Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS [07/17/2025]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day - Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS [07/07/2025]
• It's official! An interstellar object is visiting our solar system [07/03/2025]
• NASA spots a new comet flying in from a distant star system [07/03/2025]

[Texas Eagle]

And how "close" is that?

And don't tell me to read the article. I have things to do. Ish.

[SunkenCiv]

Comets only spew when they’re in proximity to stars, and you have no idea how large the thing was in the first place.

[Campion]

Not very. 170 million miles from Earth. It’s closest approach to Mars is only 18 million miles though.

[JBW1949]

It’s going to come within 37 feet of earth....

KISS YOUR A** GOODBYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Billthedrill]

Trump’s fault.

[Texas Eagle]

Pbbbbbbt! Who cares how close it comes to Mars? Other than Marvin The Martian. EVERYthing makes him angry.

[Williams]

This was only spotted a month ago and it’s going to pass Us in december. Let’s just hope there isn’t a whole storm of these things coming in from elsewhere.

[Flatus I. Maximus]

My money's on Gorath.

[HombreSecreto]

Remind me to stay clear of Buenos Aires in December.

[CathyWhite]

Oumuamua in 2017 was an alien spacecraft. You may remember it wasn’t ‘discovered’ until after it was past us. As it moved away from the Sun, it exhibited a slight acceleration, an effect not explained by gravitational forces alone. There was also no visible tail or coma. Oumuamua means ‘scout’, or ‘in advance of’, or literally, “a messenger from afar arriving first”. Ouamuamua was around 300 yards long. This scout - looking for a ‘blue planet’ - found Earth in 2017, and sent for the Mothership - 31/ATLAS - which, at fourteen miles long, will arrive here on December 17th. Their technology is hundreds of millions of years advanced. They are coming here to colonize.

[Magnum44]

[linMcHlp]

Needs a bit of    to clean the ejectors.