US EditionComet Believed to Be 3 Billion Years Older than Our Solar System
SOLAR SYSTEM, JUL 11 – 3I/ATLAS is estimated to be 3 billion years older than the solar system and will be observable for months, offering new insights into galaxy formation, scientists say.
- Astronomers discovered the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS on 1 July 2025 using the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile.
- 3I/ATLAS travels at a high speed relative to the sun—close to 60 km/s—which, along with its steep trajectory, confirms its origin beyond the solar system and suggests it is extremely ancient.
- Preliminary results shared at the UK's Royal Astronomical Society meeting indicate that 3I/ATLAS may be the most ancient comet observed to date, potentially predating the solar system by around three billion years.
- Professor Chris Lintott noted that this comet originates from a region of the galaxy not previously observed at such proximity, and there is approximately a 66% likelihood that it is older than the solar system.
- 3I/ATLAS will approach the Sun later this year, causing vapor and gas emissions to confirm its cometary nature and become visible to amateur telescopes for months.
43 Articles
43 Articles
Spotting New Interstellar Comet C/2025 N1 ATLAS
It’s the question of the hour. On the first day of the month July 1st, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) station at Río Hurtado, Chile spotted an interstellar interloper, which would receive the official designation C/2025 N1 ATLAS or 3I/ATLAS. The ‘I’ is a rare ‘interstellar’ designation, only the third such object known of after 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2/I Borisov. But can we see it? Such a spectacle as actually seeing an int…
The ATLAS telescope in Chile was responsible for identifying this celestial body, a finding that mobilized scientific teams from several continents to reveal unprecedented data on the early evolution of the galaxy and the formation of planetary systems
Astronomers are racing to study our solar system's newest 'interstellar visitor.' Here's why.
Astronomers have been given the rare opportunity to study an extrasolar object after the recent discovery of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. Experts tell Live Science how they are planning to observe the cosmic visitor.
Mystery discovery in space is most likely the 'oldest comet ever seen', say researchers
The object seems to be travelling on a steep path - suggesting it came from the Milky Way's "thick disk", an area of ancient stars that orbits above and below the thin plane where most stars reside.
He traveled billions of years through the darkness of space. Now researchers are emanating his story from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.
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