Since Comet 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object, was discovered on July 1, 2025, astronomers around the world have worked to predict its trajectory. The European Space Agency (ESA) has improvedpredicting the comet’s location by a factor of 10, thanks to the innovative use of observation data from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) probe, which orbits Mars.
The same happens with NASA, which has used data from the JPL Small-Body Database and HORIZONS to integrate the orbit and estimate the future evolution of 3I/ATLAS. Thanks to this we know his trajectory in the coming months.
December 19, 2025: 3I/ATLAS reaches its minimum distance from Earth during this pass, approximately 1.8 AU, almost twice the distance that separates us from the Sun.
March 16, 2026: The comet is projected to pass relatively close to Jupiter, at about 0.36 AU, according to predictions of its trajectory.
And after? Throughout 2026, 3I/ATLAS will continue its path in a hyperbolic orbitmeaning it will escape the Sun’s gravity and not return, returning to interstellar space.
This means that, technically, after perihelion 3I/ATLAS will follow a path that takes it away from the Sun and sends it back into interstellar space. Its apparent direction in the sky corresponds to its current flight vector (constellations such as Virgo/Leo after perihelion) and its movement leads it to cross the system through a corridor close to the ecliptic plane, with a small retrograde inclination. In practical terms, It does not “point” at a specific nearby star that it will encounter shortly, but rather it will get lost in the galactic immensity in a rectilinear trajectory.
The comet is currently being observed with ESA’s JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) probe. Although JUICE is farther from 3I/ATLAS than Mars orbiters were last month, it is observing the comet just after its closest approach to the Sun, when it is in a state of greatest activity. The agency does not expect to receive data from JUICE observations until February 2026 due to the distance and time needed to retrieve the information.
“We should not rely solely on spacecraft being close to difficult-to-observe objects that could pose a threat,” ESA concludes. “Therefore, We are preparing the Neomir mission to cover the blind spot that the Sun creates for asteroid observationssince its intense brightness eclipses the faint glow of an asteroid or comet. “Neomir will be positioned between the Sun and Earth to detect near-Earth objects coming from the direction of the Sun at least three weeks before a possible impact with Earth.”
Wandering icy comets like 3I/ATLAS offer a rare, tangible connection to the galaxy. Visiting a comet would allow humanity to connect with the Universe on a much larger scale. Therefore, it is not strange that ESA is preparing the Comet Interceptor mission, which will provide more information about a comet; With luck, it could be an interstellar one.