Scientists now say an interstellar comet discovered earlier this month could be one of the oldest that astronomers have ever encountered.

I/ATLAS, earlier known as A11pI3Z, is only the third interstellar visitor to be discovered passing through our corner of the galaxy.

For context, that's 90 million kilometres farther than the distance between the Earth and the Sun! This diagram shows the hyperbolic trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the inner solar system.