Astronomers Discover 3I/ATLAS, Largest Interstellar Comet Yet Detected

Astronomers have discovered 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar comet to pass through our solar system. Detected by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, it’s racing inward at 150,000 mph and will swing closest to the Sun in October. Estimated to be 10–20 kilometers across, it is likely the largest interstellar object observed so far. Signs of cometary activity suggest it’s an icy relic from another star system. Early detection has given astronomers time to study its composition before it’s altered by solar heating—offering rare insight into planet formation beyond our own system.