Here's a breakdown of the key information from the provided text about comet 3I/ATLAS:
* Perihelion: The comet is approaching it's perihelion, the point in its orbit closest to the Sun, this week. This will occur around October 29th.
* Distance: At perihelion, it will be about 210 million kilometers (130 million miles) from the sun, or 1.4 astronomical units.
* Potential Brightening: As it nears the Sun, it's expected to heat up and release gas, potentially becoming much brighter and visible with telescopes (both ground-based and in orbit).
* Interstellar Origin: 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar visitor detected in history.
* No Threat to Earth: NASA confirms it will not come close enough to pose a danger to Earth; its closest approach will be about 270 million kilometers (170 million miles).
* Unusual Characteristics: Anomalies in its trajectory and tail have led to speculation (though unconfirmed) that it might not be a natural object, but potentially an interstellar technological system - a suggestion made by scientist Avi Loeb.