Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2025 November 21 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. 3I/ATLAS: A View from Planet Earth Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Rolando Ligustri Explanation: Now outbound after its perihelion or closest approach to the Sun on October 29, [5]Comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third known interstellar object to pass through our fair Solar System. Its greenish coma and faint tails are seen against a background of stars in the constellation Virgo in this [6]view from planet Earth, recorded with a small telescope on November 14. But this [7]interstellar interloper is the subject of an on-going, unprecedented [8]Solar System-wide observing campaign involving spacecraft and space telescopes from Earth orbit to the surface of [9]Mars and beyond. And while the comet from another star-system has recently [10]grown brighter, you'll still need a telescope if you want to [11]see 3I/ATLAS from planet Earth. It's now above the horizon in [12]November morning skies and will make its closest approach to Earth, a comfortable 270 million kilometers distant, around December 19. Tomorrow's picture: Dione and Rhea Ring Transit __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Amber Straughn [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy, [30]Accessibility, [31]Notices; A service of: [32]ASD at [33]NASA / [34]GSFC, [35]NASA Science Activation & [36]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2511/3I_251114.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.instagram.com/rolandoligustri/ 5. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/3i-atlas/ 6. https://www.instagram.com/rolandoligustri/p/DRCsqxPDFHM/ 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250809.html 8. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/3i-atlas/comet-3i-atlas-image-gallery/ 9. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/view-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-through-nasas-multiple-lenses/ 10. https://www.arxiv.org/abs/2510.25035 11. https://earthsky.org/space/new-interstellar-object-candidate-heading-toward-the-sun-a11pl3z/ 12. https://theskylive.com/c2025n1-info 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251120.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.com/feed.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=251121 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251122.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/ 32. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 33. https://www.nasa.gov/ 34. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 35. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 36. http://www.mtu.edu/