NASA and the European Space Agency are tracking the 3I/ATLAS interstellar object as it travels past Mars on its way toward the Sun and through the solar system.

The object is thought to be a comet and is only the third interstellar object to be identified within the solar system, according to NASA.

NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover might have captured an image of 3I/ATLAS, which scientists first discovered in July, as it passed Mars at a distance of 23.6 million miles from the Red Planet.

The NASA rover’s right navigation camera recorded images that show a streak of light against an empty backdrop of space.

The streak likely is about 31,000 miles in length and was made by combining hundreds of images taken by the rover’s camera over about 10 minutes, Harvard University astronomer Avi Loeb wrote, as reported by NASA.

Loeb said the object is much smaller than the 31,000-mile streak might suggest.

NASA officials said it’s yet to be confirmed that the image is the 3I/ATLAS interstellar object.

The ESA also aimed the cameras of two Mars orbiters at the object as it continued its Mars flyby from Wednesday through Tuesday.

“Though our Mars orbiters continue to make impressive contributions to Mars science, it’s always extra exciting to see them responding to unexpected situations like this one,” said Colin Wilson, ESA project scientist for the Mars orbiters.

“I look forward to seeing what the data reveals following further analysis,” he added.

The ESA says it has images of the 3L/ATLAS interstellar object, which came within 18.64 million miles of the ESA’s Mars orbiters on Friday and gave them the best view of the suspected comet.