NASA Confirms interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Poses No Threat to Earth
NASA has confirmed that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) does not pose a threat to Earth. This natural comet, the third interstellar comet identified (hence the “3I” in its name), will come no closer than 1.8 astronomical units (approximately 270 million kilometers) from our planet on October 30, 2025. It will reach perihelion – its closest approach to the Sun – around the same time, at a distance of 1.4 astronomical units, just beyond the orbit of Mars.
Astronomers worldwide are currently studying the size and physical properties of 3I/ATLAS. The comet is expected to remain visible through ground-based telescopes until September 2025, after which it will temporarily disappear as it passes too close to the Sun. It will reappear in December 2025, offering further opportunities for observation.
As a standard precautionary measure,NASA has activated its Planetary Defense Method system – officially known as the international Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) – from November 21,2025,to January 27,2026.
What is the IAWN?
The IAWN is a global network of institutions dedicated to discovering, monitoring, and characterizing possibly hazardous near-Earth objects. It serves as a central hub for observations and provides recommendations for impact threat assessment and response strategies to governments.
Currently, the IAWN, also referred to as the Planetary Defense Method, is focused on comet 3I/ATLAS to refine observational data and track its trajectory, despite the fact that it presents no actual risk to Earth.
