by A mysterious interstellar object that was discovered by British astronomers is most likely the oldest comet that has ever been seen.
The “water-rich” visitor who has received the name 3i/Atlas is the first object that reaches us from a completely different region of our galaxy, says researcher.
Only two other objects have entered our solar system from elsewhere.
In contrast to his predecessors, 3i/Atlas seems to travel on a steep path that indicates that it comes from the “thick disc” of the Milky Way, an area of old stars that circle over and below the thin level in which most of the stars are located.
The astronomer of the University of Oxford, Matthew Hopkins, said: “All non-interlocking comets such as Halley’s Comet, which were formed with our solar system, are up to 4.5 billion years old.
“But interstellar visitors have the potential to be far older, and of those who are known about the previous statistical method suggests that 3i/Atlas is very likely the oldest comet we have ever seen.”
3i/Atlas could be about three billion years older than our solar system.
It was first discovered on July 1, 2025 by the Atlas survey -Telescope in Chile when it was about 670 million kilometers from the sun. The earth is 149 million km from the sun.
Professor Chris Lintott, the co-author of the study, said: “This is an object from a part of the galaxy that we have never seen nearby.
“We believe that there is a two third chance that this comet is older than the solar system and since then through the interstellar space.”
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Why do the two sides look so different?
When 3I/Atlas gets closer to the sun, the sunlight heats its surface and triggers the outgage of steam dust that creates the bright cock of a comet.
Members of the public could be able to take a look at 3i/Atlas in the coming months, as researchers say that they should be visible in late 2025 and early 2026 by adequate amateur telescopes.
