A Rare Discovery That Could Rewrite the History of Comets
Astronomers have just confirmed a new interstellar object—3I/Atlas—and it may be the oldest comet ever observed. Detected on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope in Chile, this object is moving at a speed that suggests it’s over 7 billion years old, possibly three billion years older than our solar system.
This marks only the third time in history an object from beyond our solar system has been observed, following ‘Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). But 3I/Atlas is fundamentally different: its trajectory, composition, and likely origin place it in an entirely new category of galactic visitors.
Why 3I/Atlas Matters
The research, presented at the Royal Astronomical Society meeting in Durham, UK, indicates the object may have originated in the Milky Way’s thick disk—a layer of ancient stars orbiting above and below our galaxy’s plane. According to Oxford University astronomer Matthew Hopkins, the data suggests 3I/Atlas was ejected early in the life of its host star and has been drifting through interstellar space ever since.
Here’s what makes this object significant:
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Age Estimate: Over 7 billion years based on velocity and trajectory
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Origin: Likely from an ancient star system in the galactic thick disk
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Material Composition: Rich in water ice, which may create a visible coma and tail when heated by the Sun
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Visibility Forecast: May become visible with amateur telescopes later this year
Hopkins and his team used a dynamic modeling system to calculate the likely path of 3I/Atlas, tracking its orbit relative to the Sun. Their model shows a clear hyperbolic escape trajectory, confirming that this object is not gravitationally bound to our solar system.
The object’s current position—roughly 670 million km from the Sun—puts it near Jupiter’s orbital path. Its projected approach to the Sun could produce the kind of bright dust plume and tail commonly associated with comets, offering a rare look at pristine material from outside our solar system.
Later in 2025, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory will begin full-scale operations. Its high-powered, wide-field survey capability is expected to detect dozens more interstellar objects, with projections ranging from 5 to 50 new detections annually.
3I/Atlas is a preview of what’s coming: the first direct access to ancient galactic material formed far beyond our Sun, offering new clues into planetary system formation, star evolution, and the early chemical makeup of the universe.
If you care about the origins of life, the structure of the galaxy, or the hunt for water-bearing comets, 3I/Atlas is not just another rock in space. It’s an unfiltered message from a different part of the Milky Way—and one of the most important objects astronomy has seen in years.
Stay alert. This is how science changes.
