Wow, 2025 was an epic year for astronomy! Back in July, the ATLAS survey discovered an interstellar comet — 3I/ATLAS (also known as C/2025 N1). This is the third confirmed interstellar object, following 1I/'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.This one is massive — nucleus estimated at 1-5.6 km in diameter — following a hyperbolic trajectory from deep space. It swung by the Sun, reaching perihelion on October 29, 2025, at about 1.36 AU, then passed closest to Earth on December 19 at ~1.8 AU before heading back out.Observations captured stunning details: extended ion tails, dust coma, and even emissions of cyanide and nickel vapor, similar to solar system comets. Hubble, Gemini North, and ground telescopes got incredible shots of its activity!Of course, some speculated about alien tech (Avi Loeb strikes again 
), but scientists confirm it's a natural interstellar comet, possibly billions of years old, giving us clues about materials from other star systems.Now in 2026, 3I/ATLAS is fading into the distance, but its images and data remind us: the universe is vast, and we're not alone in it! Look up at the stars — when's the next visitor coming? 
#3IATLAS #InterstellarComet #Astronomy #NASA #SpaceExploration
), but scientists confirm it's a natural interstellar comet, possibly billions of years old, giving us clues about materials from other star systems.Now in 2026, 3I/ATLAS is fading into the distance, but its images and data remind us: the universe is vast, and we're not alone in it! Look up at the stars — when's the next visitor coming? #3IATLAS #InterstellarComet #Astronomy #NASA #SpaceExploration
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