For some months now, astronomers have been tracking an interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS.

The suspected comet is extraordinary for several reasons.

Not only is it significantly larger than other interstellar objects that have been identified in our solar system, the carbon-dioxide heavy comet – which passed by Mars on October 3rd – is actually only the third such object to pass through our neighborhood.

And now, German researchers have explained that 3I/ATLAS’s journey could be about more than just a joyride through the stars; in fact, this super speed comet could provide the building blocks of a new planet.

In a recent paper, Professor Susanne Pfalzner of Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany explained that the three such interstellar objects – including 3I/ATLAS, which is carrying significant amounts of carbon dioxide, could ultimately be the seeds of future giant planets.

Though it might seem like the stuff of science fiction from the surface of our 4.5 billion year old planet, the process of planetary formation has happened throughout the history of our universe, and continues to this day.

The accretion theory suggests that planets assemble slowly through particles, trapped in discs around young stars, collide together as planetary building blocks. And as Pfalzner explains in a statement, interstellar objects – like 3I/ATLAS – could be crucial to the process:

“Interstellar objects may be able to jump start planet formation, in particular around higher-mass stars. Higher-mass stars are more efficient in capturing interstellar objects in their discs. Therefore, interstellar object-seeded planet formation should be more efficient around these stars, providing a fast way to form giant planets. And, their fast formation is exactly what we have observed.”

With this in mind, 3I/ATLAS, already fascinating to astronomers and the sky-gazing public alike, could be even more exciting.

Not only is this space object – which will be visible from Earth in December – of interstellar origins, it could also be the high-powered catalyst of a future planet.

With a trajectory passing by Mars, Venus and Jupiter, the interstellar object is expected to leave our solar system in March 2026.

All the more reason to wave as it goes past, on its way to build a new world.

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