A ghost from a distant stellar nursery, a cosmic interloper untouched by the four-and-a-half-billion-year history of our own planetary neighbourhood, has arrived. Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS represents an extraordinary opportunity for planetary scientists and astronomers worldwide.
This object is only the second confirmed cometary body known to have traversed the vast gulf between stars and entered the Solar System, following the ground-breaking discovery of 'Oumuamua. 3I/ATLAS was first detected on July 1, 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey telescope in Río Hurtado, Chile.
