Discovered on July 1, 2025, this comet does not follow a classical orbit around the Sun, but a so-called hyperbolic trajectory, suggesting that it could originate from beyond our solar system.

Short-period comets get close to the sun much more often than their long-period kin, and every time they do, they deplete more of their gas and dust. Consequently, they don’t typically emit as much reflective material per orbit, so they don’t get as bright.

As 3I/Atlas neared its closest point to the sun in its orbit, the internet was abuzz with curiosity about the comet.

Why do comets and their meteoroid streams weave in and out of Earth's orbit and their orbits disperse over time? Researchers show that this is not due to the random pull of the planets, but rather the kick they receive from a moving Sun. Why do comets and ...

The widely talked about Comet 3I/ATLAS will pass by the sun on Thursday, but it will be December before stargazers can get a glimpse of the object.