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Story summary
- The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will pass about 170 million miles from Earth at its closest approach on December 19.
- Astronomers estimate its icy nucleus could range from 1,400 feet to 3.5 miles wide.
- Not visible to the naked eye, it can be observed with telescopes until spring 2026.
- NASA has released images revealing its characteristics and dismissed conspiracy theories that it is an alien spacecraft.
