--- title: "The Interstellar Visitor Hurtling Toward the Center of Our Star System Is Unimaginably Ancient, Scientists Say" description: "Astronomers recently confirmed that a mysterious object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS came from interstellar space, blowing through the outer solar system at extremely high speeds. It's only the third confirmed interstellar object to have reached our corner of the galaxy, following 'Oumuamua, which was spotted in 2018, and a comet, dubbed 2I/Borisov. Now, scientists are racing to better understand 3I/ATLAS and whether it can shed more light on the nature of interstellar objects like it. In an op-ed for Space.com, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor astrophysicist Aster Taylor and Michigan State University professor of physics and astronomy Darryl Seligman argue that 3I/Atlas […]" date: "2025-07-10" modified: "2025-07-10" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/interstellar-visitor-3i-atlas-center-solar-system-ancient" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "`oumuamua" - "2i/borisov" - "3i/atlas" - "interstellar objects" --- # The Interstellar Visitor Hurtling Toward the Center of Our Star System Is Unimaginably Ancient, Scientists Say ![Astronomers confirmed that a mysterious object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, came from interstellar space. It appears to be billions of years old.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* Astronomers [recently confirmed]() that a mysterious object, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, came from interstellar space and is now blowing through the solar system at extremely high speeds. It's only the third confirmed interstellar object to have reached our star system, following ['Oumuamua](), which was spotted in 2018, and a comet [dubbed 2I/Borisov](), which was identified in 2019. Now, scientists are racing to better understand 3I/ATLAS and whether it can shed more light on the nature of interstellar objects like it. In an [op-ed for *Space.com*](), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor astrophysicist Aster Taylor and Michigan State University professor of physics and astronomy Darryl Seligman argue that 3I/Atlas appears to be a comet, much like 3I/Borisov, suggesting "comet-like interstellar objects are far more common than exotic ones like 'Oumuamua." Thanks to its tremendous speed of around 134,000 mph relative to the Sun, the two researchers assert that "ATLAS is far older than either 'Oumuamua or Borisov — around 3-11 billion years old." That's because "the influence of the galaxy tends to speed up objects over time," they wrote. In other words, 3I/ATLAS may indicate that the Milky Way has been producing interstellar objects since close to its creation, some 13 billion years ago. In fact, it could easily be older than our own Sun, which is around 4.6 billion years in age. "We can even begin to determine the distribution of these objects and infer the population of the still-unseen planets that must have ejected them into interstellar space," the op-ed reads. Scientists traced back its trajectory to the center of the Milky Way. But how it got here remains a mystery. Experts [have suggested]() it may have formed as a comet around a star, or it was ejected by a passing star from its home system. We don't even know with any degree of certainty how big it is. 2I/Borisov's comet tail measured almost 100,000 miles, [according to estimates](), while 'Oumumua itself was only between 330 to 3,300 feet long. Unlike 'Oumuamua, which was discovered extremely late in its journey, making it incredibly difficult to study, 3I/ATLAS still has some ways to go as it screams through our solar system. Best of all, thanks to NASA's James Webb and Hubble space telescopes, we could soon have a much closer look, potentially revealing its "size, composition, spin, and how it reacts to being heated for the first time," Taylor and Seligman wrote. Even the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, whose first light images were released mere weeks ago, could be used to investigate the curious visitor. The observatory has already [catalogued more than 2,000 previously unknown asteroids](). However, what could greatly complicate these efforts is the Trump administration's plan to deal a devastating blow to NASA's science directorate. The White House [proposed]() slicing the agency's science budget roughly in half, an existential threat that undermines dozens of important missions and [thousands of jobs](). "At a time when federal science funding is under threat, we are fortunate for the striking example of 3I/ATLAS," Taylor and Seligman wrote. "The public interest in this object and the sense of wonder that it brings can help renew public and political commitment to space science." "In 3I/ATLAS, we see both the promise of astronomy and the importance of continuing its funding," they concluded. **More on the object:** *[Mysterious Object Headed Into Our Solar System Is Coming From the Center of the Galaxy]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()