NASA Confirms Discovery of Rare Interstellar Comet Entering Solar System

LONDON - July 28, 2025 - PRLog -- NASA astronomers announced today the discovery of a comet originating from beyond our solar system, marking only the third known interstellar visitor ever recorded. The comet, named 3I/ATLAS, was first observed by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile, with follow-up observations confirming its unusual trajectory.

Archival observations quickly revealed that the object had first appeared in telescope imagery as early as June 14, 2025, enabling scientists to precisely calculate its interstellar orbit. Comet 3I/ATLAS is currently about 420 million miles (670 million kilometers) away from Earth and will reach its closest approach to the Sun, known as perihelion, in October 2025.

Scientists worldwide are collaborating to closely observe the comet as it traverses the solar system, using facilities such as Gemini North in Hawaii and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. These detailed observations will help astronomers understand the comet's composition and origin, providing rare insights into the materials and conditions of distant star systems.

The discovery of comet 3I/ATLAS follows the identification of interstellar visitors 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019, events that captivated scientists and the public alike. As researchers continue to track this latest interstellar arrival, the scientific community eagerly anticipates the insights it may offer into planetary formation processes occurring beyond our solar neighborhood.

NASA will continue to provide updates as new data emerges from ongoing international observational campaigns.