A colossal ice-laced comet from outside our solar system—designated 3I/ATLAS—has surged into our celestial backyard, stunning astronomers and igniting a global scramble to unlock its alien secrets.
At a Glance
- The comet was discovered July 1 by Chile’s ATLAS telescope.
- It is officially named 3I/ATLAS and is the third interstellar object ever observed.
- Currently about 420 million miles from the Sun, it’s moving at ~37 miles per second.
- It is up to 12 miles across—larger than any known interstellar visitor.
- The object is active, exhibiting a coma and short tail typical of icy comets.
The Object That Shouldn’t Be Here
Named 3I/ATLAS, this newcomer is only the third interstellar object humanity has ever detected—following 1I/‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. First spotted by the ATLAS telescope in Chile on July 1 and initially catalogued as A11pl3Z, it was quickly confirmed to be on a hyperbolic path, meaning it originated outside our solar system.
Its speed—over 37 miles per second—and current location inside Jupiter’s orbit further cement its alien status. Estimated at up to 12 miles wide, it is significantly larger than either ‘Oumuamua or Borisov.
Watch a report: NASA: What We Know About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
Unlike the cigar-shaped ‘Oumuamua, 3I/ATLAS shows classic comet behavior. Telescopes have confirmed a faint coma and short tail—signs of icy sublimation as it heats up near the Sun. It will reach perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) around October 29 but will remain a safe 150 million miles from Earth, roughly the same distance as the Sun.
Alien Origins, Earthbound Questions
The implications of 3I/ATLAS’s arrival are profound. With only two previous interstellar detections, its presence affirms that such cosmic drifters may be far more common than previously assumed—just harder to detect. Thanks to upgraded sky surveys and tracking systems, more of these galactic messengers are expected to be spotted in the coming decades.
Scientists are particularly interested in the comet’s pristine ices, likely unchanged since it was ejected from another planetary system billions of years ago. This makes it an invaluable window into planetary formation processes beyond our Sun. Plans are already underway to coordinate global observations of its chemical makeup, though the object’s high velocity and distant trajectory make a rendezvous mission impossible.
Amateur astronomers might get a chance to glimpse the icy traveler through high-powered telescopes (magnitude 15–18) as it brightens later this year. Livestreams and remote viewing events are also being scheduled by organizations like the Virtual Telescope Project.
While 3I/ATLAS poses no danger to Earth, its presence is a humbling reminder that our solar system is far from isolated—just one node in a vast cosmic interchange of matter and mystery.
