Rare Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS Nears Earth This December

"Ship"-shaped asteroid won't be visible to the naked eye during Earth flyby

As of the morning of December 12, the object remains 271 million kilometers from Earth.

December 12, 2025, 19:22 UTC

With the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS set to make its closest approach to Earth in just one week, reports have emerged suggesting it may soon be observable with basic optical instruments—or even the naked eye—citing data from the Solar Astronomy Laboratory at Russia's Space Research Institute (IKI RAN), as reported by Liter.kz.

While December 19 has been mathematically pinpointed as the day of peak proximity, the distinction is largely technical. As of the morning of December 12, the object was still 271 million kilometers from Earth. Its closest approach—scheduled for seven days later at a distance of 269 million kilometers—will bring it just 3 million kilometers nearer, reducing its distance from our planet by a mere 1%. In practical terms, the object is already nearly as close as it will get.

Experts note that between December 18 and 20, the difference in distance will amount to just 100,000 kilometers. During these peak days, the celestial body will appear to linger at roughly the same range from Earth for two to three days before rapidly receding toward Jupiter.

For those still hoping to catch a glimpse of the "ship"-shaped asteroid, the laboratory offers a few tips:

Try stepping outside on the night of December 12–13 around the time of moonrise (roughly 1–2 a.m. local time). 3I/ATLAS will be positioned about 10–15 degrees above and to the right of the lunar disk.