Third interstellar object detected, origin possibly identified
A rare interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, has been discovered by the ATLAS telescope in Chile. It's only the third time astronomers have caught an object from outside our solar system passing through.
First spotted on July 1, 2025, near Jupiter's orbit, this speedy visitor is zipping in from the direction of Sagittarius.
Over 7 billion years old, made of ancient material
This comet is huge—up to 20km wide—making it the largest interstellar object we've ever seen here.
Its path shows it definitely came from another star system, and scientists think it's over seven billion years old, made of ancient material from a far-off part of the Milky Way.
Comet will stay at least 1.6 AU away from Earth
You can catch a glimpse with ground-based telescopes until September; after that, it'll be too close to the Sun for a bit.
Its closest approach to the Sun happens on October 30 near Mars's orbit, but don't worry—it will stay at least 1.6 AU away from Earth and poses no danger at all.