Astronomers report findings about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which passed near the Sun last year and is only the third known object of its kind observed passing through the solar system. Based on observations of the comet’s properties and its path, researchers say it may be vastly older than the solar system—potentially nearly three times its age. The study also suggests the comet’s origin and long-term trajectory through the Milky Way are unusual compared with known comets associated with the Sun. While the comet’s brightness during its solar encounter provides scientists with an opportunity to study material that came from outside the solar system, where it formed and exactly where it traveled within the galaxy remain unclear. Across reports, researchers emphasize that the object is unlike anything previously seen in our cosmic neighborhood and that additional data may be needed to determine its source region within the Milky Way and confirm its age estimate.