Space scientists say they are preparing a comet interceptor spaceship as the third interstellar object ever detected was spotted this week. A mysterious object the size of Manhattan was spotted by astronomers hurtling through our Solar System at extraordinary speed.

How do we know 3I/ATLAS, also called comet C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), is interstellar? Will it strike Earth? Can we visit it? Here are all of your questions answered.

Astronomers have discovered a rare instance of a interstellar comet speeding through the solar system. The 3I/ATLAS was first spotted on July 1 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System telescope.