Comet 3I/ATLAS was first identified by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), a global network of four robotic telescopes located in Hawaii, Chile, and South Africa. ATLAS systematically surveys nearly the entire night sky every 24 hours, primarily searching for near-Earth objects that could pose a risk of impact.

The space rock 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object discovered by astronomers, following 'Oumuamua and the comet Borisov. While astronomers are still busily collecting data on the new discovery,