ESA astronomers are using telescopes in Hawaii, Chile, and Australia to monitor the comet’s progress. Some of these telescopes are owned by ESA, others are provided as part of longstanding partnerships.

These efforts are part of ESA’s broader mission to detect, track, and characterise near-Earth objects – though 3I/ATLAS is not considered one, due to its distance from our planet.

Scientists will now be interested in learning more about this interstellar visitor’s composition and behaviour.