Scientists now say an interstellar comet discovered earlier this month could be one of the oldest that astronomers have ever encountered.

A mysterious object, first observed hurtling across the solar system on July 1, has now been identified as "very likely to be the oldest comet ever."

I/ATLAS isn't just fascinating because it is the third interstellar visitor found in the solar system; new research suggests it's also the oldest comet ever seen, at over 7 billion years old.