TESS Spotted 3I/ATLAS Two Months Before It Was Discovered
The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), primarily designed to observe stars and detect exoplanets, captured images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS as early as May, two months before its official discovery in July. This early detection, along with previous findings from the Vera Rubin Observatory, indicates that 3I/ATLAS may have been active during that time.