A mesmerizing interstellar visitor passes through our Solar System

July the 1st was the day when NASA's ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in Chile discovered a comet heading towards our solar system. 3I/ATLAS, as it was later named, caught the attention of ATLAS after the latter detected the comet's rapid movement through space, as seen in the animation below:

After ATLAS's discovery, more observatories confirmed the existence of the comet and calculated the object's trajectory. Consequently, scientists came to the stunning conclusion that 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar visitor. The comet's course through our solar system is hyperbolic; indicating that it has not been set in orbit around the Sun, thus originating from another star system. 

Based on measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope, the comet is at least 320 meters wide and at most 5,6 km. On September 2nd 2025 the comet is approximately 384,64 million kilometers from Earth, which is equal to 2,571 AU (Astronomical Units). 

However, the comet's visit did not fail to trigger the media and cause panic to some people. After its discovery, articles about a "mysterious object" started emerging on the Internet. Consequently, stories about "alien visitors" and "fast moving light-emitting objects" gathered views. 

A headline in a science focused website just like the Cosmic Record.

After all, the object is not "hurtling towards us" or "emit its own light". In no time, scientists discovered that it is a comet, hence reflecting the light from the Sun. Given the object's speed and other variables, astronomers calculated its trajectory. The object shall pass between Earth and Mars, posing no threats to neither of the two planets. It is of great importance that we always stay "humble" and cautious when facing such unexpected news.