Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will approach Earth tonight: a simulation of the apocalypse.

According to ТСН: On the night of December 18 to 19, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS will come closest to our planet. While NASA assures that this close approach is not dangerous, scientists have modeled a shocking scenario of a possible collision that could have catastrophic consequences for megacities.

Simulations have shown how destructive the consequences for Earth could be if 3I/ATLAS were to strike it. This interstellar object was first detected in the summer using the Chilean ATLAS telescope supported by NASA, and since then it has attracted the attention of not only scientists but also the general public. Harvard researcher Avi Loeb suggested that it could be an artificial 'alien' object due to its unusual characteristics.

NASA emphasized:

3I/ATLAS is a naturally occurring comet.

The comet came closest to the Sun on October 29, 2025, approaching approximately 203 million kilometers away. The maximum approach to Earth is expected on the night of December 19 at 1:00 AM Eastern Time. Astronomy enthusiasts can observe the object through telescopes as it moves through the constellation Leo. For those who do not have such an opportunity, an online broadcast has been prepared.

3I/ATLAS does not threaten Earth

Regarding 3I/ATLAS, NASA emphasizes that even during the closest approach, it will remain at a distance of about 270 million kilometers, so a collision is excluded. After this, the comet will leave the outskirts of the Solar System and head into deep space.

Simultaneously, within the framework of a theoretical scenario, scientists modeled what could happen in the event of a collision with Earth, using a special comet collision simulator.

Consequences of a collision between 3I/ATLAS and Earth

According to calculations, a direct impact could have apocalyptic consequences. According to the Hubble telescope, the diameter of 3I/ATLAS's nucleus can range from 440 to 5600 meters. The comet entered the Solar System at a speed of approximately 221,000 km/h, and according to NASA estimates, it would leave at a similar speed.

The maximum allowable parameters were chosen for the simulation: an object 1.5 km wide moving at a speed of 100 km/s, striking Earth at an angle of 45 degrees. The impact would occur at a hypothetical point chosen in Washington.

The results of the simulation were stunning. The impact would cause a crater approximately 27 km in diameter and nearly 800 m deep, instantly claiming the lives of over 1.2 million people. The collision speed—about 97 km/s—would release energy equivalent to 1203 gigatons of TNT, exceeding the power of the last eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Such events are considered rare and occur only once every few million years.

A fireball with a diameter of about 69 km would destroy everything around, taking the lives of approximately 19.3 million people. Millions more would suffer severe burns of varying degrees. Clothing would ignite hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter, and forests would ignite over half a thousand kilometers away.

After this, the planet would be enveloped by a powerful shockwave capable of instantly killing millions of people, causing destruction hundreds of kilometers from the impact site. Additional casualties would be caused by hurricane winds, and the final blow would be an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5, which would claim hundreds of thousands more lives and be felt over 500 km from the disaster.

Moreover, the comet 3I/ATLAS surprised scientists with the phenomenon of cryovolcanism: as it approached the Sun, powerful emissions of ice and dust were detected on its surface. Studies indicate that this cosmic object is surprisingly similar to trans-Neptunian objects in our Solar System and primitive chondrite meteorites.

Thus, 3I/ATLAS, while currently posing no threat, serves as a reminder of how vulnerable we may be in the event of unwanted cosmic occurrences. The use of modern technologies for monitoring and modeling such scenarios helps scientists better understand potential threats and search for ways to prevent them. This object may remain a topic of discussion in the scientific community and among the wider audience for a long time.