Watch Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Leave Solar System Today

Right now, a cosmic wanderer that traveled from beyond our solar system is passing through our neighborhood one last time, and anyone with an internet connection can watch it go.

The Virtual Telescope Project is hosting a free livestream today at 5 p.m. EST, offering real-time views of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it continues its departure from our corner of the galaxy. A robotic telescope in Manciano, Italy, will capture the distant visitor's final farewell.

Scientists discovered 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025, and quickly realized something special. Analysis of its path confirmed it wasn't bound to our sun, making it only the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system.

The comet has already completed its tour of our cosmic neighborhood. It made its closest approach to the sun on October 29, surprising scientists by glowing brighter than expected. On December 19, it swung past Earth at a distance of 168 million miles.

Now 3I/ATLAS is heading for one final milestone before leaving forever. In March, it will make a close pass by Jupiter, buzzing the gas giant at about 33.4 million miles away.

After that planetary goodbye, the comet faces a journey of several thousand years through the outer reaches of our solar system. It will eventually pierce through the icy Oort cloud that surrounds our sun before returning to the vast emptiness between stars.

Why This Inspires

"This is a very precious opportunity to personally see, in real-time, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, one of the most important discoveries of the last decade," said Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project. His words capture why this moment matters: we're witnessing something that connects us to the broader universe.

Interstellar visitors remind us that our solar system isn't isolated. Objects from other star systems can reach us, carrying secrets about distant corners of the galaxy we may never visit ourselves.

Watching 3I/ATLAS leave feels like saying goodbye to a friend who stopped by for a brief visit, one we won't see again for thousands of years, if ever.