Astronomers have discovered an interstellar comet, officially named 3I/ATLAS, making it only the third known object from beyond our solar system to visit.

First spotted by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, the comet is moving at nearly 37 miles per second—too fast to be bound by the Sun’s gravity.

Analysis confirms it came from outside our solar system, likely traveling for millions of years, CNN has reported.

Scientists worldwide are racing to study it, eager to learn more before it leaves our cosmic neighborhood.

Written by B.C. Begley