SPACE CADETS / HOW CLOSE IS THE ALIEN COMET TO THE SAN DIEGO ZOO?

Clueless to the numerical gobblygook but we're assured it's a real photograph of 3i/ATLAS as it zips through our solar system.

Here’s the San Diego/North Park–specific snapshot for Mon Nov 3, 2025 (North Park News wire services): 

• Distance from Earth and the San Diego Zoo: ~2.25 AU or 208 million km. TheSkyLive 

• Where in the sky: In Virgo, very low in the ESE pre-dawn sky. Current coordinates are roughly RA 13h 19m, Dec −06° 09′. It’s just coming out of the Sun’s glare and sliding into the morning sky. TheSkyLive+1 

• When to look (San Diego): About ~2 hours before sunrise, i.e., roughly 4:30–5:30 AM local time this week. Expect it to sit low above the ESE horizon at only a few degrees altitude, improving slowly through November. Sky & Telescope+1 

• Brightness / gear: Around magnitude ~10–11 right now — you’ll need at least a small telescope (camera assists help a lot). TheSkyLive 

• Safety: On a hyperbolic, outbound path; no threat to Earth. Closest Earth distance will be ~1.8 AU in December. NASA Science 

Artist’s concept, not an actual capture of 3I/ATLAS.