Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

  • 3I/ATLAS is a rare interstellar comet, discovered on 1 July 2025 by the ATLAS telescope in Chile.
    • It is the third known object from outside our solar system.
  • Scientists believe it is extremely old, possibly ~3 billion years older than our solar system.
  • Its orbit is hyperbolic, meaning it will pass through the solar system and not return, as it is not bound by the Sun’s gravity.
  • The name “3I” indicates the third interstellar object, and “ATLAS” refers to the discovery survey.
  • The first two interstellar objects were:
    • 1I/‘Oumuamua (2017)
    • 2I/Borisov (2019)

GS Input

  • Comets are often called “dirty snowballs”, made ....
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