The exact origin of this ball of ice, rock and dust is mysterious but, according to NASA, it does not pose a threat to Earth. Anyone with a backyard telescope should be able to view the comet - which will appear as something between a bright star and a faint smudge - from now until January,

The director responds to the “speculation” about the presence of aliens on the comet and sets a date for the day of closest approach to Earth.

The direction, distance and motion of the comet through the sky during its closest approach could have made it seem like it was hovering over Bethlehem when Jesus was said to have been born.

In the spirit of the season, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is changing color as it leaves the sun behind — shifting from a reddish tint to a faint green glow. That visible change signals the comet is reacting to solar heat and releasing new gases in space, giving scientists fresh clues about what it is made of and how it behaves.

Astronomers detect "wobbling high-latitude jet" in comet 3I/ATLAS, according to a preprint paper. A new mutation of flu strain A (H3N2) is driving an increase in influenza cases and hospitalizations. Bears in central Italy are evolving to become smaller and less aggressive after interacting with humans, study finds.