Around December 19th, how close did 3I/ATLAS pass Earth?
Answer
Roughly 170 million miles
For observers on Earth, 3I/ATLAS reached a key viewing opportunity when it passed within approximately 170 million miles of our planet, specifically around December 19th. Although this distance is considered vast—significantly further than the closest typical approaches achieved by Mars—this proximity was crucial. It allowed powerful ground-based telescopes to gather essential, intricate data regarding the comet's composition and the perplexing details of its uneven gaseous plumes before the object receded permanently out of our close range.
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Newly-discovered 3I/ATLAS comet makes closest approach to Earth
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