A new interstellar comet named
3I/ATLAS
has been spotted racing through our Solar System.
By Aniket Chakraborty
July 3, 2025
Arrow
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Arrow
It’s only the third object ever confirmed to originate from beyond the Solar System.
2
Arrow
3I/ATLAS was first detected on July 1 by the ATLAS telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile.
3
Arrow
Its path traces back to the constellation Sagittarius—far beyond our Sun’s reach.
4
Arrow
Archived data from ATLAS and Zwicky telescopes show it was visible as early as June 14.
5
Arrow
The comet is now 670 million km away, near Jupiter’s orbit, but poses no threat to Earth.
6
Arrow
At its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, it will be just inside Mars’ orbit.
7
Arrow
The comet will disappear in late fall due to solar glare and reappear in December.
8
Arrow
Telescopes worldwide are racing to study its size, speed, and mysterious origin.
9
3I/ATLAS is a rare celestial visitor—a message from another star system flying by.
10