Designated 3I/ATLAS, the object is known to be an interstellar comet, which may be a 10-billion-year-old time capsule from another age of the universe. Astronomers are keen to study its properties, which could tell us about the environment it came from, and the effect of the interstellar medium on cometary objects. Besides that, it is only our third confirmed interstellar object, after 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
Waxing philosophical we are capable of such greatness but are mostly failed by our leaders
Astronomers are desperate for photos of this comet
In an awesome space-based surprise, China’s Tianwen-1 orbiter has sent back intriguing photos of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, taken from the orbit of Mars