How to See 31/Atlas Before It’s Gone
Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere will have a final opportunity to glimpse 31/Atlas this December. On December 19, it will pass within 168 million miles of Earth, roughly 1.8 times the distance between our planet and the Sun.
Then the star system visitor will drift away forever.
Skywatchers using large backyard telescopes may be able to spot the comet as it moves northward in the night sky, glowing faintly as it retreats into the darkness of interstellar space.
As Dr. Lin summarized, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event — a true messenger from another world.”
