NASA has discovered an interstellar comet that's wandered into our backyard. The space agency spotted the object with the Atlas telescope in Chile earlier this week, and has confirmed it was a comet from another star system.

Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted comet hailing from parts unknown, only the third time such an interstellar object has been observed visiting our solar system.

The third interstellar object detected has been named 3I/ATLAS and was discovered on July 1 from Chile. Astronomers from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands are tracking it with several telescopes in Tenerife.