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Astronomy Picture of the Day - 3I/ATLAS: A View from Planet Earth
NASA ^
| 21 Nov, 2025
| Image Credit & Copyright: Rolando Ligustri
Posted on 11/21/2025 12:14:03 PM PST by MtnClimber
Explanation: Now outbound after its perihelion or closest approach to the Sun on October 29, Comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third known interstellar object to pass through our fair Solar System. Its greenish coma and faint tails are seen against a background of stars in the constellation Virgo in this view from planet Earth, recorded with a small telescope on November 14. But this interstellar interloper is the subject of an on-going, unprecedented Solar System-wide observing campaign involving spacecraft and space telescopes from Earth orbit to the surface of Mars and beyond. And while the comet from another star-system has recently grown brighter, you'll still need a telescope if you want to see 3I/ATLAS from planet Earth. It's now above the horizon in November morning skies and will make its closest approach to Earth, a comfortable 270 million kilometers distant, around December 19.
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: 3iatlas; apod; aviloeb; interstellar; nasa; naturalobject
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To: MtnClimber
2
posted on
11/21/2025 12:14:28 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: 21stCenturion; 21twelve; 4everontheRight; A Navy Vet; A_perfect_lady; abb; AFB-XYZ; AFPhys; ...
Pinging the APOD list
🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔
3
posted on
11/21/2025 12:15:24 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
The theories keep getting stranger: It is an alien spaceship, the color changes are a blinking message, it went behind the Sun to hide the spaceships following it, it is changing speed.
Maybe it will land in December and take leftists to utopia where they will become alien food.
4
posted on
11/21/2025 12:16:27 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
5
posted on
11/21/2025 12:20:28 PM PST
by
TheDon
(Remember the J6 political prisoners! Remember Ashli Babbitt!)
To: MtnClimber
I think technically it never went 'behind the Sun', WE did. We went into opposition to the comet with the Sun between us and it. It never came closer than just inside the orbit of Mars before it started back out again.............
6
posted on
11/21/2025 12:20:45 PM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
To: Red Badger
In other words, it is a sneak attack.
7
posted on
11/21/2025 12:25:29 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
It came closer to hitting Mars than us..............
8
posted on
11/21/2025 12:29:14 PM PST
by
Red Badger
(Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
To: Red Badger
It came closer to hitting Mars than us.............. Not if it lands here and takes Pelosi and Schumer back home for probing experiments :)
9
posted on
11/21/2025 12:32:26 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
Bring Elvis back; they get Pelosi & Schumer. If they want more, just ask us...
10
posted on
11/21/2025 12:55:36 PM PST
by
citizen
(A transgender malel competing against women may be male, but he's no man.)
To: MtnClimber
No alien spacecraft would want to land here now and try to take us out. Better for them to stand back and watch mankind destroy ourselves, much easier. Easier for them to take us over then. Or, maybe we can all become civilized and live together peacefully and the aliens can teach us something. Don’t know, have no idea I’ll be dead before any alien intervention anyway.
To: MtnClimber
Though I read it was going to pass close by some probe out there and we would see some images close up?
To: doorgunner69
The photos from Mars were not great.
13
posted on
11/21/2025 2:13:09 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
NASA thinks we just have a "fair solar system"? I think we have a great solar system.
To: MtnClimber
LOL, we should be so lucky!
15
posted on
11/21/2025 2:29:56 PM PST
by
telescope115
(Ad Astra, Ad Deum…)
To: MtnClimber
Funny how nasa can get a clear view of the Apep system...
...but just can’t get a clear shot of this object.
16
posted on
11/21/2025 7:40:06 PM PST
by
logi_cal869
(-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 "/!i!! &@$%&*(@ -')
To: MtnClimber
Looks like a comet to me.
17
posted on
11/21/2025 7:52:12 PM PST
by
Bullish
(My tagline ran off with another man, but it's okay... I wasn't married to it.)
To: MtnClimber
That is the Jupiter II coming back to earth.
18
posted on
11/21/2025 11:37:49 PM PST
by
minnesota_bound
(Making money now. Still want much more.)
To: MtnClimber; FRiends
Handy Planet Order Reminder:
19
posted on
11/22/2025 5:24:32 AM PST
by
Diana in Wisconsin
(I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set.)
To: MtnClimber
Thought it was some orbiter going to pass by last week, not mars.
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