Third Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS, 10-20 Kilometers Wide, Detected Entering Solar System; NASA Plans Possible 2026 Spacecraft Interception

Astronomers have detected the third known interstellar object entering the solar system, designated 3I/ATLAS. The object is estimated to be between 10 and 20 kilometers wide and is moving rapidly toward the Sun. Improved telescope technology has enabled the detection of such visitors, with the previous two identified within the last eight years. While a Harvard astrophysicist has suggested that 3I/ATLAS could be an extraterrestrial reconnaissance probe, NASA has dismissed this claim, maintaining that it is an interstellar comet. There is also discussion among scientists about the possibility of intercepting the comet using an aging NASA spacecraft, potentially employing a Jupiter Oberth maneuver to meet 3I/ATLAS on March 14, 2026. The object is expected to become visible through telescopes soon as it approaches the inner solar system.