Astronomers discovered 3I/ATLAS, a 10–20 km-wide interstellar comet racing into the solar system. It will reach perihelion in October.

You can watch comet 3I/ATLAS live online tonight (July 3), thanks to the Virtual Telescope Project, which will livestream views beginning at 6:00 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT). The feed will showcase imagery from telescopes in Manciano, Italy, weather permitting. Tune in via Virtual Telescope's WebTV, YouTube channel or here on Space.com.

Sometimes, "the universe comes to us," writes the European Space Agency — the third time now since 2017. What is it and are we prepared?