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Strange interstellar comet speculated to be alien spacecraft is older than Solar System

Researchers suggest the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS formed between 10 and 12 billion years ago. The object is characterized by unique chemistry and is potentially one of the coldest objects ever observed in the solar system. NASA's Webb telescope is providing data to help determine its ancient origins.

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New observations estimate the comet's age at up to 12 billion years.

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  1. Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS May Be Oldest Object Seen in Solar System

    Researchers suggest the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS formed between 10 and 12 billion years ago. The object is characterized by unique chemistry and is potentially one of the coldest objects ever observed in the solar system. NASA's Webb telescope is providing data to help determine its ancient origins.

    What's confirmed:

    • Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was discovered on 1 July 2025 by the ATLAS station.
    • The comet is estimated to be between 10 and 12 billion years old.
    • 3I/ATLAS follows a hyperbolic trajectory and passed Earth at 1.8 AU.
    • The nucleus of the comet is less than 1 km in diameter.
    • The comet is older than the Solar System.

    Still unconfirmed:

    • Radio scans have found no evidence of alien technology.
    confidence 90%