Hubble captures first image of 7-billion-year-old interstellar comet entering our solar system

Hubble captures image of interstellar visitor, Comet 3I/ATLAS (Image: NASA)

The cosmos has a way of surprising us when we least expect it. This time, it’s a comet older than our Sun, passing quietly through our celestial neighbourhood.

Third Interstellar Object Seen in Human History

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has caught the first image of 3I/ATLAS. It is only the third known object from beyond our solar system. The comet was discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS survey telescope. Before this, 'Oumuamua in 2017 and Borisov in 2019 had made similar visits.

3I/ATLAS is thought to be around 7 billion years old. That means it formed long before our own 4.6-billion-year-old solar system. Its path suggests it came from an ancient part of the Milky Way. That makes it the oldest comet ever seen by humans.

Scientists Rush to Observe the Ancient Wanderer

Hubble's images show a hazy coma surrounding the comet. Though peppered with cosmic rays, the pictures reveal exciting details. Astronomy student Astrafoxen shared the update on Bluesky, noting how fresh the images are.

One study, already in preprint form, sheds new light on the comet. It shows 3I/ATLAS holds water ice and dust like D-type asteroids. These asteroids carry carbon and organic-rich materials inside them. Their makeup is different from distant ultrared bodies beyond Neptune.

Since its discovery, telescopes have lined up to study the object. One of them is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. It captured its first cosmic images in June this year. Rubin is expected to spot dozens more such visitors over time.

For now, astronomers are closely watching 3I/ATLAS. Each observation helps us understand faraway solar systems. The comet’s arrival may be brief, but its story is billions of years in the making.