Scientists may have discovered a third interstellar object in our solar system but it poses 'no threat' to Earth

By Rebecca Henrys

Astronomers have discovered an interstellar object travelling through the solar system that is expected to pass by Earth later in the year.

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The object, named A11pl3Z, may be the third of its kind to have come through our solar system that has origins from somewhere else in the universe.

It is the largest to have been detected yet and is thought to be up to 12 miles wide travelling at 37 miles per second.

NASA has said that it poses 'no threat' to Earth and will remain about 150 million miles away.

A11pl3Z has been classified as a comet or cosmic snowball.

The European Space Agency wrote on X: "Astronomers may have just discovered the third interstellar object passing through the Solar System.

"ESA’s Planetary Defenders are observing the object, provisionally known as A11pl3Z, right now using telescopes around the world."

The two interstellar objects to previously have entered our solar system were Oumuamua, which was discovered in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2019.