Did you see Comet 3I/ATLAS? After lighting up the imaginations of many in 2025 — not least when it was the focus of conspiracy theories about it being an alien spacecraft — the interstellar space-rock is now barreling away from the sun and, ultimately, out of the solar system. However, before it does, there will be one more chance for skywatchers to get a close-up of the icy visitor.
What Is Comet 3I/ATLAS?
Initially called A11pl3Z when it was discovered on Jul. 1, 2025, by the Deep Random Survey remote telescope in Chile, part of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey in Río Hurtado, Chile, it was quickly renamed C/2025 N1 ATLAS when it was seen to be a comet. However, its peculiar motion led astronomers to figure that it had a highly hyperbolic orbit — it was not gravitationally bound to the sun. That means it must be from another star system and merely passing through the solar system. It was renamed 3I/ATLAS and became the third interstellar object ever observed after 1I/Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
How To See Comet 3I/ATLAS
Although too faint for the naked eye, it is possible to see comet 3I/ATLAS. Currently in the pre-dawn sky until spring in the Northern Hemisphere, a large 8-inch digital telescope is required to image it — and a whopping 16-inch optical telescope to see it.
In an online observation at 4:00 p.m. EST (21:00 UTC) on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, the Virtual Telescope Project will point its robotic telescopes at a facility in Manciano, Italy, at 3I/ATLAS. The live feed — titled “Farewell, 3I/ATLAS: a final view of this exceptional object” — is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2026, starting at 21:00 UTC.
No, 3I/ATLAS Is Not An Alien Spacecraft
Speculation by Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb that 3I/ATLAS may be an alien spacecraft has led to rather pathetic conspiracy theories about what is already a fascinating science event. Besides, the science has 3I/ATLAS as a comet, not a spacecraft; new data from NASA’s Psyche mission and ESA’s Mars Trace Gas Orbiter suggest the comet is accelerating — a slight push caused by jets of vaporized gas escaping the surface, called “outgassing” — which is how comets from the solar system behave.
Take one last look at 3I/ATLAS; it comes from the center of the Milky Way — and it will never be seen again.
Wishing you clear skies wide eyes.
