Nothing is as close as we would like, and all these observations are very difficult. He added that the comet passed within 32 million kilometers of Mars in early October, giving our spacecraft in Mars orbit an opportunity to make a close observation. Much about this interstellar visitor, shrouded in gas and dust and traveling at an incredible speed of 209,000 kilometers per hour inside the solar system, is still unknown. The comet is expected to reach its closest point to Earth on December 19, at a distance of about 270 million kilometers. Experts confirmed that this object poses no threat. For comparison, the average distance between the Earth and the Sun is about 150 million kilometers. NASA has released images of the comet "C/2019 Y4" (ATLAS), which is the third object ever identified as an interloper from deep space to enter the solar system. NASA said the images were generated by processing and merging telescope images taken between September and October, and they show the comet as a small, bright, blurry spot. Tom Statler of NASA, at a press conference where the images were unveiled, said: "Remember, space is very, very big."
