3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet currently hurtling toward the Sun on a one-way trip through the Solar System. (Image credit: Darryl Seligman et al.)
Comet 3I/ATLAS is approximately 7 miles (11.2 kilometers) wide, making it the largest interstellar object ever detected, according to new images released by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory.
Scientists say the detailed images, obtained ahead of the official discovery of the exoplanet, highlight the incredible capabilities of the record-breaking telescope and demonstrate how valuable it will be in the search for future interstellar visitors.
3I/ATLAS was spotted on July 1 hurtling toward the Sun at more than 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h). Less than 24 hours later, NASA confirmed that it was the third known interstellar object (ISO) — an ejected fragment from another star system — hurtling through our solar system. It quickly became apparent that 3I/ATLAS was a comet, and computer simulations tracking its likely origins suggest that it could be 3 billion years older than Earth, potentially making it the oldest comet ever discovered.
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