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| Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Spotted in Our Solar System, Captured on Video by ESO. |
Guess what just cruised through our Solar System? An interstellar comet called 3I/ATLAS just made headlines after astronomers from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) caught it on camera. This isn’t just any space rock — it’s only the third confirmed interstellar object ever spotted visiting our cosmic neighborhood.
The comet was first discovered on July 1, 2025, when it was about 670 million kilometers away from the Sun. At first, it was given a temporary name, A11pl3Z, but once experts confirmed that it wasn’t from around here and showed typical comet features, it officially became known as 3I/ATLAS. The “3I” means it's the third interstellar object ever detected.
Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, ESO managed to snap some super clear shots of the comet on the night of July 3. They even turned the images into a time-lapse video showing the comet zipping across the sky in just 13 minutes — seriously cool stuff for space lovers.
3I/ATLAS is a faintly active comet with a short tail and it's racing through space at about 60 to 68 kilometers per second. Its path is hyperbolic, which basically means it’s just passing through and won’t be coming back. So yeah, we’re lucky to catch even a glimpse of this cosmic traveler.
Here’s the crazy part: by the end of October 2025, this comet will be at its closest point to Earth. But don’t get too excited — it’ll be too close to the Sun from our point of view, which makes it invisible to telescopes. Bummer, right? But hang on, it’s not over yet. By December 2025, 3I/ATLAS will become visible again as it heads back out into deep space. So mark your calendars if you wanna catch one last look.
Astronomers around the world, including those at ESO, are keeping a close eye on this rare visitor. They’re hoping to learn more about what it’s made of, how it formed, and where exactly it came from. This kind of stuff helps scientists piece together the bigger puzzle of our universe and how different star systems might be forming out there.
Seeing something from another star system drop by is a big deal. Before 3I/ATLAS, there were only two interstellar objects we knew about — ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Now with 3I/ATLAS joining the club, astronomers get another golden opportunity to study material from beyond the Solar System. Who knows what secrets this space traveler might reveal?
So yeah, if you're into space, comets, or just super rare cosmic events, this is something to keep an eye on. Interstellar visitors like this don’t show up often — and when they do, it’s always a big deal.