Comet 3i/Atlas is the third known object from outside our solar system, ever to be discovered. It was first reported on July 1st, 2025 by a NASA funded observatory, the Asteroid Terrestrial – Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile.
Comet 3i Atlas will pass just inside the orbit of Mars, around October 30th, 2025. It is traveling at 137,000 miles per hour, 221,000 kilometers per hour or 61 kilometers per second.
Asteroid 99942 is otherwise known as Apophis, named after the Egyptian God of Chaos. It is about 1,200 feet / 370 meters wide and larger than 90% of all asteroids. It orbits the sun every 324 days and comes close to Earth roughly every 10 years.
Apophis was first discovered in 2004 and calculations showed that it could be on a collision course with Earth in 2029, 2036 or 2068. Astronomers gave a 2.7% chance of a direct hit. In 2021, NASA calculations refined its orbit, and minimized concerns of an earth strike, but new research partly revives the original concern.
Astronomers still believe Apophis will not collide with Earth on its current trajectory. On April 13, 2029, they predicted Apophis will come within 19,400 miles (31,200 kilometers) of Earth. This will be the closest approach of an asteroid of this size that humankind has ever experienced and will place Apophis between the earth and Earth’s geostationary satellites, as it passes.
The worry is that the trajectory of Apophis could be altered by a collision with a small asteroid, while on its journey to us. The chances are small, but definitely not zero. Stay tuned!
NASA Image of Apophis
On April 8, 2024, the moon will pass between the earth and the sun, creating a solar eclipse. Here is the path. For more information, see the link below.
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/02/world/solar-eclipse-2024-map-dg-scn
