All eyes are on Comet 3I/Atlas as astronomers worldwide chase the exotic ice ball through our solar system

Experts have confirmed that the mysterious object hurtling towards us, previously dubbed A11pl3Z, is an "interstellar object." The cosmic interloper, officially named 3I/ATLAS, is only the third of its kind ever seen — and will shoot past Earth later this year.

NASA has discovered an interstellar comet that's wandered into our backyard. The space agency spotted the object with the sky-surveying Atlas telescope in Chile earlier this week, and has confirmed it was a comet from another star system.