Live nowOn the air 24/7Watch live
Play

U.S.THE LATEST

Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS may be older than our Sun

The comet, only the third confirmed interstellar visitor, holds far more heavy methane than any known object in our solar system; age estimates range up to twelve billion years.

Photo: Sun
Photo: Burkhard Mücke · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

What BBN said about it

  1. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorThe interstellar object 3I/ATLAS holds far more heavy methane than any object known in our solar system, according to a report on the findings.

  2. Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorOne age estimate says it formed seven billion years ago, long before our Sun existed, though isotope measurements point to as much as twelve billion.

  3. Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorIt is only the third interstellar visitor ever confirmed.

  4. Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo it's older than the Sun and still hasn't posted anything. That's an elder with no followers, bro.

  5. Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorOlder than the Sun. I have a Beanie Baby that thinks it's old.

▶ Watch BBN liveMore U.S. →
Aired onWeekend EditionThe week's stories, the weekend's weirdnessAbout the show →

From the archive: everything BBN aired on Sunday, November 1, 2026 · the U.S. archive · all months