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NASA discovers interstellar comet in solar system
NASA's ATLAS telescope in Chile has spotted a rare visitor—an interstellar comet called 3I/ATLAS.
Detected on July 1, 2025, this icy traveler is only the third known object from outside our solar system, joining the ranks of 'Oumuamua and Borisov.
A closer look at the interstellar comet
This active comet has a core somewhere between 10 and 20km wide, surrounded by gas and dust that give it a fuzzy look.
Scientists confirmed its discovery using earlier images from June, including data from Caltech's Zwicky Transient Facility.
It won't come anywhere near Earth
3I/ATLAS will swing closest to the Sun around October 30, 2025, passing just inside Mars's orbit.
Good news: it won't come anywhere near Earth (it'll stay over 1.6 au away).
Astronomers are excited to watch its journey through our solar system!