1.8 astronomical units.
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For an interstellar spaceship, designed by some interstellar supercivilization to spy on Earth, that is rather large distance.
I would think, they would guide it to get closer to us!
They were too busy turning it into gold to lure us in.
How close do they need to be to release their pods with illegal alien criminals?
No. They have all this advanced equipment that can zero in from there, like they zapped that artificial satellite orbiting Jupiter. They can probably read the time on your wristwatch.