3I/ATLAS
3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to pass through the Solar System; it was discovered in July 2025 with the ATLAS telescope network. Astronomers identified it as a comet.
3I/ATLAS (former designation C/2025 N1) is the third confirmed interstellar object to fly through the Solar System. The first two were 1I/ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). 3I/ATLAS was discovered in July 2025 by one of the stations of the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope network, and orbit calculations quickly showed that it had arrived from outside the Solar System on a hyperbolic trajectory.
Scientific position
According to the classification of the astronomical community and NASA, the object is a comet of natural origin. According to observations, it shows a coma (an envelope of gas and dust) and a tail, which is characteristic of comets. Because of its considerable speed and hyperbolic trajectory, it is considered to be of interstellar origin; after passing through the Solar System, it will not remain in orbit around the Sun.
Debate and speculation
A debate has developed around the object in the UFO/UAP community and in some professional circles as well. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who had earlier also raised the possibility of an artificial origin in connection with ʻOumuamua, emphasized in the case of 3I/ATLAS as well that its unusual properties are worth examining thoroughly, and he did not rule out the hypothesis of a technological origin. In his view, the question must be decided by further data.
Most astronomers, by contrast, take the view that the observations so far are consistent with a natural comet and that there is no need for an extraordinary explanation. A significant portion of the rumors surrounding the object spread on social media, without professional confirmation.
3I/ATLAS is also an important scientific opportunity: it can provide direct information about the material of other star systems.