We finally have an image of 3I/ATLAS that was captured by the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft in November 2025. It took nearly four months to see what JUICE saw from near Jupiter. The photo shows a trail of gas and dust behind the bright coma of the comet. Official findings will be announced later this month. ESA said on February 26, 2026, that the image was captured on November 6 last year. JUICE captured a bright coma around a small nucleus and jets, streams and filaments of gas and dust stretching behind the comet. On October 29, 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to the Sun, and seven days later, the JANUS camera aboard JUICE took several snapshots of the interstellar comet. The spacecraft was 66 million km from the comet at this time. The optical camera was designed to take images of Jupiter and its moons. However, scientists pointed JUICE towards 3I/ATLAS when it calculated that the comet's trajectory would bring it into its proximity.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-mission-to-study-interstellar-comet-2035-and-2085-1771249095341">Why wait 60 years? Sun can help us reach 3I/ATLAS in the year 2085, if we launch in 2035</a>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3iatlas-latest-update-nasa-tess-images-jupiter-1769745274633">NASA's TESS captures 3I/ATLAS once again. But some data is missing. Here's what happened</a><h2>Why was there a 4-month delay in JUICE data on 3I/ATLAS?&nbsp;</h2>Besides the JANUS camera, four other instruments on JUICE were also used to observe the interstellar comet. ESA is believed to have downloaded a huge trove of information on 3I/ATLAS. But it took a long time before ESA scientists could lay their hands on the mysteries of the comet. The four-month wait was because JUICE was on the other side of the Sun when it observed the visitor. From this position, it could only use its smaller, medium-gain antenna to relay the data since the high-gain antenna was shielding it from the sun. This meant a slower rate of transmission, which only reached ESA in the second-to-last week of February.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/3iatlas-interstellar-objects-35-million-avi-loeb-solar-system-1770972758535">Scientist claims 35 million interstellar objects reside between Sun and Earth - '100 trillion metric tons...'</a>&nbsp;Different teams are studying various things about 3I/ATLAS. The MAJIS and UVS teams at the space agency have started analysing the data, the SWI team is studying the comet’s composition, and the PEP team is looking at the particle data. The final findings will be announced towards the end of March. 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object seen in our solar system. It was discovered on July 1, 2025 and is believed to be 7-13 billion years old. On December 19, 2025, it made its closest approach to Earth and is now on its way out of the solar system.&nbsp;

3I/ATLAS is still in our solar system, but now we have a photo that was taken four months ago. The JUICE probe took the image in November last year, but ESA received it only in February. This was because of a technicality and the hot Sun. 

We finally have an image of 3I/ATLAS that was captured by the European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft in November 2025. It took nearly four months to see what JUICE saw from near Jupiter. The photo shows a trail of gas and dust behind the bright coma of the comet. Official findings will be announced later this month. ESA said on February 26, 2026, that the image was captured on November 6 last year. JUICE captured a bright coma around a small nucleus and jets, streams and filaments of gas and dust stretching behind the comet. On October 29, 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to the Sun, and seven days later, the JANUS camera aboard JUICE took several snapshots of the interstellar comet. The spacecraft was 66 million km from the comet at this time. The optical camera was designed to take images of Jupiter and its moons. However, scientists pointed JUICE towards 3I/ATLAS when it calculated that the comet's trajectory would bring it into its proximity. Also Read: Why wait 60 years? Sun can help us reach 3I/ATLAS in the year 2085, if we launch in 2035 Also Read: NASA's TESS captures 3I/ATLAS once again. But some data is missing. Here's what happened Why was there a 4-month delay in JUICE data on 3I/ATLAS? Besides the JANUS camera, four other instruments on JUICE were also used to observe the interstellar comet. ESA is believed to have downloaded a huge trove of information on 3I/ATLAS. But it took a long time before ESA scientists could lay their hands on the mysteries of the comet. The four-month wait was because JUICE was on the other side of the Sun when it observed the visitor. From this position, it could only use its smaller, medium-gain antenna to relay the data since the high-gain antenna was shielding it from the sun. This meant a slower rate of transmission, which only reached ESA in the second-to-last week of February. Also Read: Scientist claims 35 million interstellar objects reside between Sun and Earth - '100 trillion metric tons...' Different teams are studying various things about 3I/ATLAS. The MAJIS and UVS teams at the space agency have started analysing the data, the SWI team is studying the comet’s composition, and the PEP team is looking at the particle data. The final findings will be announced towards the end of March. 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object seen in our solar system. It was discovered on July 1, 2025 and is believed to be 7-13 billion years old. On December 19, 2025, it made its closest approach to Earth and is now on its way out of the solar system.

3I/ATLAS is still in our solar system, but now we have a photo that was taken four months ago. The JUICE probe took the image in November last year, but ESA received it only in February. This was because of a technicality and the hot Sun.&nbsp;

3I/ATLAS photo from November 2025 just reached Earth. What caused the 4-month delay?

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has captured a series of images of 3I/ATLAS between January 15 and 22, 2026, as it moved away from the Sun. It created a 28-hour-long video in which the comet appears as a bright glowing dot with an anti-tail directed towards the Sun. 3I/ATLAS is on its way out of the solar system, and scientists are still observing it. TESS has a wide field of view and scans the sky for a month at a time. This is not the first time that the NASA telescope has captured 3I/ATLAS. While the comet was officially discovered on July 1, precovery data recovered from TESS showed that the telescope had recorded it as early as May 2025. At the time, scientists tried to look for an extended coma, but did not find a clear indicator. While scanning data on other telescopes, TESS revealed that it had recorded 3I/Atlas over 20 days between May 7 and June 1. In the recent images, TESS faced a technical issue between January 15 and 18, so data is interrupted for that period of time.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-precovery-images-captured-by-nasa-s-tess-show-no-coma-what-it-means-1760517800964">3I/ATLAS was spotted by NASA's TESS long before Atlas telescope. It saw no coma. Why?</a><h2>Hubble captured 3I/ATLAS during Earth-Sun axis alignment</h2>TESS entered a safe mode because of a problem with its solar panels. TESS team member, Daniel Muthukrishna from MIT put together the available images into a 28-hour video, with a time jump from January 15 to 18, 2026. 3I/ATLAS continues to intrigue scientists even as it makes its way out of the solar system. The Hubble Space Telescope observed it between November 30, 2025 and January 22, 2026, when it was aligned with the Earth-Sun axis. It came within a small angle of 0.69 degrees from the axis, offering a unique opportunity to measure an effect called "the opposition surge", where dust reflects sunlight more brightly. Scientists used this time to study the composition of the comet.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-could-be-coming-from-a-star-that-is-already-dead-a-star-that-s-so-ancient-1767162151025">3I/ATLAS could be coming from a star that is already dead: ‘A star that’s so ancient...’</a><h2>3I/ATLAS and Jupiter</h2>3I/ATLAS will enter another crucial moment when it comes eerily close to Jupiter's Hill Radius in March. On March 16, 2026, NASA's Juno spacecraft will be able to observe it from a distance of 53.6 million kilometres. This is the area around Jupiter inside which the planet's gravity dominates that of the Sun's. Some scientists, such as Avi Loeb, believe this is too big a coincidence and we need to watch what 3I/ATLAS does in this region. He had earlier discovered several anomalies in the object, claiming that it could even be an alien spacecraft coming to probe the solar system.

3I/ATLAS update: NASA captured the comet moving away from the Sun in January. The TESS telescope saw it against a backdrop of stars, and the images were stacked to create a video that is 28 hours long. Next is its date with Jupiter. 

NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has captured a series of images of 3I/ATLAS between January 15 and 22, 2026, as it moved away from the Sun. It created a 28-hour-long video in which the comet appears as a bright glowing dot with an anti-tail directed towards the Sun. 3I/ATLAS is on its way out of the solar system, and scientists are still observing it. TESS has a wide field of view and scans the sky for a month at a time. This is not the first time that the NASA telescope has captured 3I/ATLAS. While the comet was officially discovered on July 1, precovery data recovered from TESS showed that the telescope had recorded it as early as May 2025. At the time, scientists tried to look for an extended coma, but did not find a clear indicator. While scanning data on other telescopes, TESS revealed that it had recorded 3I/Atlas over 20 days between May 7 and June 1. In the recent images, TESS faced a technical issue between January 15 and 18, so data is interrupted for that period of time. Also Read: 3I/ATLAS was spotted by NASA's TESS long before Atlas telescope. It saw no coma. Why? Hubble captured 3I/ATLAS during Earth-Sun axis alignment TESS entered a safe mode because of a problem with its solar panels. TESS team member, Daniel Muthukrishna from MIT put together the available images into a 28-hour video, with a time jump from January 15 to 18, 2026. 3I/ATLAS continues to intrigue scientists even as it makes its way out of the solar system. The Hubble Space Telescope observed it between November 30, 2025 and January 22, 2026, when it was aligned with the Earth-Sun axis. It came within a small angle of 0.69 degrees from the axis, offering a unique opportunity to measure an effect called "the opposition surge", where dust reflects sunlight more brightly. Scientists used this time to study the composition of the comet. Also Read: 3I/ATLAS could be coming from a star that is already dead: ‘A star that’s so ancient...’ 3I/ATLAS and Jupiter 3I/ATLAS will enter another crucial moment when it comes eerily close to Jupiter's Hill Radius in March. On March 16, 2026, NASA's Juno spacecraft will be able to observe it from a distance of 53.6 million kilometres. This is the area around Jupiter inside which the planet's gravity dominates that of the Sun's. Some scientists, such as Avi Loeb, believe this is too big a coincidence and we need to watch what 3I/ATLAS does in this region. He had earlier discovered several anomalies in the object, claiming that it could even be an alien spacecraft coming to probe the solar system.

3I/ATLAS update: NASA captured the comet moving away from the Sun in January. The TESS telescope saw it against a backdrop of stars, and the images were stacked to create a video that is 28 hours long. Next is its date with Jupiter.&nbsp;

NASA's TESS captures 3I/ATLAS once again. But some data is missing. Here's what happened

The &nbsp;Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has classified information about 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object, raising more questions about the mystery visitor just when it was all about to die down. Responding to a November 2025 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the CIA said it could "neither deny nor confirm the existence or nonexistence of such records" regarding 3I/ATLAS. NASA has always maintained that it is simply a comet from another world and has rubbished every other claim, such as it could be an "alien mothership". But now the CIA's indirect admission that some things could be under wraps has led to debate about the nature of 3I/ATLAS. In its response, the intelligence agency wrote, "The fact of the existence or nonexistence of such records is itself currently and properly classified and is intelligence sources and methods information protected from disclosure." NASA and the federal government have clearly stated at all times that 3I/ATLAS shows no signs of alien life and was not an artificially constructed spacecraft.<h2>Why could CIA neither deny nor confirm records on 3I/ATLAS?</h2>When everyone has been so sure of the interstellar object being a comet, why would CIA "neither deny nor confirm" records on it? Harvard scientist Avi Loeb also raised the same questions in his blog. He wrote, "That this information is treated as sensitive enough to be classified by the CIA is surprising, given that NASA officials stated decisively at a press conference on November 19, 2025, that 3I/ATLAS is definitely a comet of natural origin." CIA's response can be interpreted to mean that the government does not wish to acknowledge or deny anything on having information or not, since even admitting could lead to the revelation of sensitive secrets. Loeb also thinks that the response merely means that there is something fishy about 3I/ATLAS.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-could-be-coming-from-a-star-that-is-already-dead-a-star-that-s-so-ancient-1767162151025">3I/ATLAS could be coming from a star that is already dead: 'A star that’s so ancient...'</a>&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨The CIA will &quot;neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of records&quot; pertaining to interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. The fact of documents existing or not existing is classified. <a href="https://t.co/UNWXUL2Av0">pic.twitter.com/UNWXUL2Av0</a>&mdash; John Greenewald, Jr. (@theblackvault) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblackvault/status/2008267999535571027?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

He says the simplest explanation would be that "some government officials wished to verify that 3I/ATLAS is not a black swan event, posing a potential threat to society." CIA's response to the query on 3I/ATLAS hints that officials did look into it being something more than just a comet.&nbsp; The possibility that the CIA investigated it to check whether it could be a Trojan Horse or a black swan event cannot be dismissed. "The serious consideration of a black swan event by the CIA was hidden from public view in order to prevent panic from taking hold for no good reason," Loeb said. To go public with such admissions could shake stock markets and create unrest in the society. Hence, CIA decided to go with neither admitting nor denying the existence of records on 3I/ATLAS.

Updates on 3I/ATLAS: An official query was made about the interstellar object, and the CIA did not admit that it had any records on it. But it also did not deny anything either. It responded that both of these scenarios are classified. 

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has classified information about 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object, raising more questions about the mystery visitor just when it was all about to die down. Responding to a November 2025 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, the CIA said it could "neither deny nor confirm the existence or nonexistence of such records" regarding 3I/ATLAS. NASA has always maintained that it is simply a comet from another world and has rubbished every other claim, such as it could be an "alien mothership". But now the CIA's indirect admission that some things could be under wraps has led to debate about the nature of 3I/ATLAS. In its response, the intelligence agency wrote, "The fact of the existence or nonexistence of such records is itself currently and properly classified and is intelligence sources and methods information protected from disclosure." NASA and the federal government have clearly stated at all times that 3I/ATLAS shows no signs of alien life and was not an artificially constructed spacecraft. Why could CIA neither deny nor confirm records on 3I/ATLAS? When everyone has been so sure of the interstellar object being a comet, why would CIA "neither deny nor confirm" records on it? Harvard scientist Avi Loeb also raised the same questions in his blog. He wrote, "That this information is treated as sensitive enough to be classified by the CIA is surprising, given that NASA officials stated decisively at a press conference on November 19, 2025, that 3I/ATLAS is definitely a comet of natural origin." CIA's response can be interpreted to mean that the government does not wish to acknowledge or deny anything on having information or not, since even admitting could lead to the revelation of sensitive secrets. Loeb also thinks that the response merely means that there is something fishy about 3I/ATLAS. Also Read: 3I/ATLAS could be coming from a star that is already dead: 'A star that’s so ancient...'

Updates on 3I/ATLAS: An official query was made about the interstellar object, and the CIA did not admit that it had any records on it. But it also did not deny anything either. It responded that both of these scenarios are classified.&nbsp;

CIA statement on 3I/ATLAS has reignited debate about the nature of interstellar object

3I/ATLAS new observations: Scientists have at least four more opportunities to use some probes already in space to see the interstellar comet. Two of these spacecraft are travelling towards their targets, an asteroid system and a Jupiter moon, while two have been at work for years. 

3I/ATLAS looming observations - Three Jupiter probes gearing up to spot interstellar comet

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS flew by Mars in early October, and this was an opportunity to observe the visitor using the orbiters hovering over the Red Planet. Very soon, two more spacecraft will get extremely close to the comet. In fact, both of them could enter the comet's tail, according to a new paper. These are NASA’s Europa Clipper and the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft that are en route to their destinations. While Europa is going to study Jupiter's eponymous icy moon, Hera is travelling to the binary asteroid Didymos and Dimorphos. The authors stated that their paths are aligned in a manner that might take them through the interstellar comet's tail. This event will take place right around the time 3I/ATLAS gets nearer to the Sun. It is expected to reach perihelion on October 29 and will reach peak activity because of its proximity to our star. The paper has been accepted for publication in Research Notes of the AAS.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-precovery-images-captured-by-nasa-s-tess-show-no-coma-what-it-means-1760517800964">3I/ATLAS was spotted by NASA's TESS long before Atlas telescope. It saw no coma. Why?</a> Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/pastor-claims-ship-with-demonic-spirits-is-coming-for-earth-netizens-link-it-to-3i-atlas-1760588030874">Pastor claims 'ship with demonic spirits' is coming for Earth. Netizens link it to 3I/ATLAS</a> &nbsp;<h2>3I/ATLAS arrival dates - Hera first, then Europa Clipper will encounter comet</h2>Hera will be the first to poke through its ion tail between October 25 and November 1. The spacecraft might be able to gather some data on the tail of 3I/ATLAS, something that has been eluding the telescopes. Europa Clipper will encounter the comet between October 30 and November 6. “Europa Clipper has a rare opportunity to sample an interstellar object’s tail,” the authors wrote in the paper. Hera and Europa Clipper could help solve some of the mysteries surrounding 3I/ATLAS, as it has displayed several anomalies since its discovery on July 1. Besides these two opportunities, there will be one more man-made object in space peering at 3I/ATLAS. The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE) will also be monitoring the comet in November. At this time, it won't be visible from Earth since it will be on the other side of the Sun. But JUICE would have a great view of the alien comet. However, it will only relay information by February next year because of the equipment it uses to relay data.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-could-release-tiny-probes-that-may-self-replicate-technological-mothership-could-reveal-itself-1760106824868">3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that may 'self-replicate' - 'Technological mothership' could reveal itself</a><h2>Latest observations of 3I/ATLAS</h2>ESA's two orbiters - ExoMars (TGO) and Mars Express - captured the interstellar comet on October 2-3. While the space agency released one image taken by TGO, what Mars Express saw is still not known. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance orbiter was said to be best positioned to spot 3I/ATLAS over the Martian sky. However, the American space agency has not yet revealed anything about the sighting. This is probably because of the shutdown that affected NASA as well, which stopped updating it website. An internal staff overhaul is also reportedly taking place.&nbsp; &nbsp;

3I/ATLAS update today: Another window to study the interstellar comet opens around October 25. Two probes travelling towards a moon of Jupiter and an asteroid system might tear through the comet's tail and gather some data on it.

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS flew by Mars in early October, and this was an opportunity to observe the visitor using the orbiters hovering over the Red Planet. Very soon, two more spacecraft will get extremely close to the comet. In fact, both of them could enter the comet's tail, according to a new paper. These are NASA’s Europa Clipper and the European Space Agency’s Hera spacecraft that are en route to their destinations. While Europa is going to study Jupiter's eponymous icy moon, Hera is travelling to the binary asteroid Didymos and Dimorphos. The authors stated that their paths are aligned in a manner that might take them through the interstellar comet's tail. This event will take place right around the time 3I/ATLAS gets nearer to the Sun. It is expected to reach perihelion on October 29 and will reach peak activity because of its proximity to our star. The paper has been accepted for publication in Research Notes of the AAS. Also Read: 3I/ATLAS was spotted by NASA's TESS long before Atlas telescope. It saw no coma. Why? Also Read: Pastor claims 'ship with demonic spirits' is coming for Earth. Netizens link it to 3I/ATLAS 3I/ATLAS arrival dates - Hera first, then Europa Clipper will encounter comet Hera will be the first to poke through its ion tail between October 25 and November 1. The spacecraft might be able to gather some data on the tail of 3I/ATLAS, something that has been eluding the telescopes. Europa Clipper will encounter the comet between October 30 and November 6. “Europa Clipper has a rare opportunity to sample an interstellar object’s tail,” the authors wrote in the paper. Hera and Europa Clipper could help solve some of the mysteries surrounding 3I/ATLAS, as it has displayed several anomalies since its discovery on July 1. Besides these two opportunities, there will be one more man-made object in space peering at 3I/ATLAS. The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE) will also be monitoring the comet in November. At this time, it won't be visible from Earth since it will be on the other side of the Sun. But JUICE would have a great view of the alien comet. However, it will only relay information by February next year because of the equipment it uses to relay data. Also Read: 3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that may 'self-replicate' - 'Technological mothership' could reveal itself Latest observations of 3I/ATLAS ESA's two orbiters - ExoMars (TGO) and Mars Express - captured the interstellar comet on October 2-3. While the space agency released one image taken by TGO, what Mars Express saw is still not known. NASA's Mars Reconnaissance orbiter was said to be best positioned to spot 3I/ATLAS over the Martian sky. However, the American space agency has not yet revealed anything about the sighting. This is probably because of the shutdown that affected NASA as well, which stopped updating it website. An internal staff overhaul is also reportedly taking place.

3I/ATLAS update today: Another window to study the interstellar comet opens around October 25. Two probes travelling towards a moon of Jupiter and an asteroid system might tear through the comet's tail and gather some data on it.

3I/ATLAS update: Hera and Europa Clipper could soon enter interstellar comet's tail

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS latest update: Some more strange observations about the comet have come to light. Earliest pictures show no coma, while it is not releasing water like a fire hose. What's going on with this visitor from outside the solar system?

Latest bizarre observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS explained

A pastor in America is claiming that God showed him a vision of an "alien" ship flying over the Vatican and Mayan temples in Mexico. Brandon Biggs said in a YouTube video that "demonic spirits" are coming for Earth, but he doesn't know when. Biggs' claim has gone viral on social media, especially since an interstellar visitor is racing towards the Sun. 3I/ATLAS has been labelled a comet by scientists, but bizarre occurrences and observations have led some scientists to speculate that it could be an extraterrestrial relic. "A major distraction is about to take place. I said, 'Lord, are there two of these?' And he said, 'No, it's just one'," Biggs said in a video, as per Daily Mail. Notably, he had earlier predicted the assassination attempt on Donald Trump three months before it happened. "This bullet flew by his ear, and it came so close to his head that it busted his eardrum," he said in April last year. Three months later, a man named &nbsp;Matthew Crooks fired bullets at him at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, with one bullet brushing past his ear, leaving Trump bleeding.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-precovery-images-captured-by-nasa-s-tess-show-no-coma-what-it-means-1760517800964">3I/ATLAS was spotted by NASA's TESS long before Atlas telescope. It saw no coma. Why?</a> &nbsp;<h2>Scientist claims 3I/Atlas could be an alien mothership and release tiny probes</h2>This has led people to think that his latest prediction about these travellers could also come true. What's shocking is that he has predicted one aspect about the extraterrestrial visitor exactly as Avi Loeb. The Harvard scientist has put forward several anomalies in 3I/ATLAS to claim that there is a 30% - 40 % chance that it is a piece of alien technology. One of his theories is that this "mothership" could release mini probes that will spread on different planets in the solar system and even replicate. Biggs also said the same thing about this object in July. He said in July this year, that he saw "little bitty ships coming out of this mother ship that were balls of light." The Oklahoma pastor admitted that it "sounds way out there", adding, "It was way out there to me. I didn't even want to talk about it, but I'm instructed to. I'm just here to warn you."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-first-contact-or-existential-threat-netizens-are-convinced-nasa-and-esa-are-hiding-something-1759728703636">3I/Atlas, 'first contact or existential threat'? Why some netizens are convinced something is wrong</a> &nbsp;He said that "everybody will freak out because they're going to see it moving across the ocean." Biggs further claims that those coming are not aliens, since there is "no such thing." "There are going to be things in the sky that are going to scare everybody in the days ahead because people are going to go, 'Oh, no. ET really exists.' No, it's fallen angels," he said. &nbsp;Even though his prophecy has gone viral, some people are slamming him as "fake". But since his prediction about Trump came partly true (Trump did not burst his eardrum), netizens fear there is a chance that this spaceship is coming for Earth. Besides, it coincides with 3I/ATLAS and Loeb's theory that there is a possibility that it is not of natural origin.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/detailed-observations-on-anomalous-3i-atlas-trajectory-show-why-it-could-be-artificial-technology-1759823032754">3I/Atlas origin and trajectory: Interstellar object could have come from a 'conical disk'</a> &nbsp;<h2>Latest update on 3I/ATLAS</h2>The interstellar comet flew by Mars on October 2-3 and is now travelling towards the Sun. It will reach perihelion (closest point to the Sun) on October 29-30. Loeb says that if it is truly a comet, 3I/ATLAS would disintegrate because of the acceleration, the heat and the gravitational force. At this time, it will also hide in the glare of the sun. However, if it is an alien "mothership", it could seed the bodies in the solar system with mini probes. The interstellar object has displayed new anomalies, with Loeb writing that fresh images of 3I/Atlas taken by the Keck Telescope on August 24 show that the gas plume around it features prominent nickel emission but no evidence for iron. He says this is an anomaly only seen in industrial objects and never before in all known comets.&nbsp;&nbsp;After it survives the trip to the sun, it will again become visible from Earth, and will make its closest approach to our planet in mid-December. In November, the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft will observe 3I/ATLAS, but won't send data until February next year. Then, NASA's Juno spacecraft will observe it in March 2026. Photos of 3I/ATLAS from the Mars orbiter TGO have been released, but observations made by Mars Express and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have still not been made public.&nbsp; &nbsp;

An American pastor who foresaw the assassination attempt on Donald Trump has said that a ship with "demonic spirits" is coming for Earth. Some people he could be talking about 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar object flagged to be of unnatural origin by a scientist.

A pastor in America is claiming that God showed him a vision of an "alien" ship flying over the Vatican and Mayan temples in Mexico. Brandon Biggs said in a YouTube video that "demonic spirits" are coming for Earth, but he doesn't know when. Biggs' claim has gone viral on social media, especially since an interstellar visitor is racing towards the Sun. 3I/ATLAS has been labelled a comet by scientists, but bizarre occurrences and observations have led some scientists to speculate that it could be an extraterrestrial relic. "A major distraction is about to take place. I said, 'Lord, are there two of these?' And he said, 'No, it's just one'," Biggs said in a video, as per Daily Mail. Notably, he had earlier predicted the assassination attempt on Donald Trump three months before it happened. "This bullet flew by his ear, and it came so close to his head that it busted his eardrum," he said in April last year. Three months later, a man named Matthew Crooks fired bullets at him at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, with one bullet brushing past his ear, leaving Trump bleeding. Also Read: 3I/ATLAS was spotted by NASA's TESS long before Atlas telescope. It saw no coma. Why? Scientist claims 3I/Atlas could be an alien mothership and release tiny probes This has led people to think that his latest prediction about these travellers could also come true. What's shocking is that he has predicted one aspect about the extraterrestrial visitor exactly as Avi Loeb. The Harvard scientist has put forward several anomalies in 3I/ATLAS to claim that there is a 30% - 40 % chance that it is a piece of alien technology. One of his theories is that this "mothership" could release mini probes that will spread on different planets in the solar system and even replicate. Biggs also said the same thing about this object in July. He said in July this year, that he saw "little bitty ships coming out of this mother ship that were balls of light." The Oklahoma pastor admitted that it "sounds way out there", adding, "It was way out there to me. I didn't even want to talk about it, but I'm instructed to. I'm just here to warn you." Also Read: 3I/Atlas, 'first contact or existential threat'? Why some netizens are convinced something is wrong He said that "everybody will freak out because they're going to see it moving across the ocean." Biggs further claims that those coming are not aliens, since there is "no such thing." "There are going to be things in the sky that are going to scare everybody in the days ahead because people are going to go, 'Oh, no. ET really exists.' No, it's fallen angels," he said. Even though his prophecy has gone viral, some people are slamming him as "fake". But since his prediction about Trump came partly true (Trump did not burst his eardrum), netizens fear there is a chance that this spaceship is coming for Earth. Besides, it coincides with 3I/ATLAS and Loeb's theory that there is a possibility that it is not of natural origin. Also Read: 3I/Atlas origin and trajectory: Interstellar object could have come from a 'conical disk' Latest update on 3I/ATLAS The interstellar comet flew by Mars on October 2-3 and is now travelling towards the Sun. It will reach perihelion (closest point to the Sun) on October 29-30. Loeb says that if it is truly a comet, 3I/ATLAS would disintegrate because of the acceleration, the heat and the gravitational force. At this time, it will also hide in the glare of the sun. However, if it is an alien "mothership", it could seed the bodies in the solar system with mini probes. The interstellar object has displayed new anomalies, with Loeb writing that fresh images of 3I/Atlas taken by the Keck Telescope on August 24 show that the gas plume around it features prominent nickel emission but no evidence for iron. He says this is an anomaly only seen in industrial objects and never before in all known comets. After it survives the trip to the sun, it will again become visible from Earth, and will make its closest approach to our planet in mid-December. In November, the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft will observe 3I/ATLAS, but won't send data until February next year. Then, NASA's Juno spacecraft will observe it in March 2026. Photos of 3I/ATLAS from the Mars orbiter TGO have been released, but observations made by Mars Express and NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have still not been made public.

An American pastor who foresaw the assassination attempt on Donald Trump has said that a ship with "demonic spirits" is coming for Earth. Some people he could be talking about 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar object flagged to be of unnatural origin by a scientist.

'I'm here to warn you' - Pastor claims 'ship with demonic spirits' is coming for Earth. Netizens link it to 3I/ATLAS

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has been a topic of discussion ever since it was discovered on July 1 this year. Scientists have been intrigued by the visitor from outer space because of its strange behaviour, such as its speed, light and size, all of which have baffled them. First spotted by the Atlas telescope in Chile, scientists also found observations taken by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) way back in May-June. A group of scientists from the American Astronomical Society got together to analyse the data of TESS on 3I/Atlas to look for an extended coma that would be a clear indication of cometary activity. However, they did not find a clear indicator. In a new paper, the researchers stated that "a faint extended coma" was seen in follow-up observations after July 1. Then, scientists started looking for pre-discovery images and found that TESS had recorded 3I/Atlas over 20 days between May 7 and June 1.&nbsp;It was previously revealed that the object displayed sudden brightening by mid/late May. The researchers in the latest analysis also spotted the same, a behaviour spotted by other ground-based observations. They wrote, "This suggests that 3I experienced a notable increase in its activity when it was at a heliocentric distance ∼6 au." They added, "However, it is not known whether this change reflects a surge in production from a period of low-level, sustained activity, or if it represents the onset of activity from a bare nucleus."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-could-release-tiny-probes-that-may-self-replicate-technological-mothership-could-reveal-itself-1760106824868">3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that may 'self-replicate' - 'Technological mothership' could reveal itself</a> Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-could-be-trojan-horse-40-per-cent-chance-it-alien-tech-masquerading-as-a-comet-1760004032017">3I/Atlas could be 'Trojan Horse' - 40% chance it's alien tech masquerading as a comet, scientist says</a><h2>TESS data was used to create a deep image of 3I/ATLAS</h2>To detect the coma, thousands of frames of images taken by TESS were co-added to produce a very deep image. This process can reveal features like the coma of a comet. They then measured the radial profile of the comet in each of the two coadded frames used and then applied the same procedures to four asteroids with comparable proper motions. They found that the profiles of comet 3I/ATLAS are comparable to those of the four asteroids, "indicating that there is no extended coma detected, even in the deep, coadded TESS data."&nbsp;However, the researchers say that this does not mean that 3I/ATLAS was inactive at the time of the TESS observations since "any gas or dust emitted in late May would not be expected to produce an extended coma in the TESS observations." They added that any coma that was produced would have only become visible after the end of the TESS observations. &nbsp;The scientists stated that the lack of a coma detection in the TESS data means that "the observations from early May are consistent with either a bare nucleus, with very low levels of activity, or with very slow dust emission velocities."

3I/ATLAS precovery images: Scientists from the American Astronomical Society analysed TESS data to search for the coma of the interstellar comet. However, they did not find any. They explained why TESS did not picture a coma. 

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has been a topic of discussion ever since it was discovered on July 1 this year. Scientists have been intrigued by the visitor from outer space because of its strange behaviour, such as its speed, light and size, all of which have baffled them. First spotted by the Atlas telescope in Chile, scientists also found observations taken by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) way back in May-June. A group of scientists from the American Astronomical Society got together to analyse the data of TESS on 3I/Atlas to look for an extended coma that would be a clear indication of cometary activity. However, they did not find a clear indicator. In a new paper, the researchers stated that "a faint extended coma" was seen in follow-up observations after July 1. Then, scientists started looking for pre-discovery images and found that TESS had recorded 3I/Atlas over 20 days between May 7 and June 1. It was previously revealed that the object displayed sudden brightening by mid/late May. The researchers in the latest analysis also spotted the same, a behaviour spotted by other ground-based observations. They wrote, "This suggests that 3I experienced a notable increase in its activity when it was at a heliocentric distance ∼6 au." They added, "However, it is not known whether this change reflects a surge in production from a period of low-level, sustained activity, or if it represents the onset of activity from a bare nucleus." Also Read: 3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that may 'self-replicate' - 'Technological mothership' could reveal itself Also Read: 3I/Atlas could be 'Trojan Horse' - 40% chance it's alien tech masquerading as a comet, scientist says TESS data was used to create a deep image of 3I/ATLAS To detect the coma, thousands of frames of images taken by TESS were co-added to produce a very deep image. This process can reveal features like the coma of a comet. They then measured the radial profile of the comet in each of the two coadded frames used and then applied the same procedures to four asteroids with comparable proper motions. They found that the profiles of comet 3I/ATLAS are comparable to those of the four asteroids, "indicating that there is no extended coma detected, even in the deep, coadded TESS data." However, the researchers say that this does not mean that 3I/ATLAS was inactive at the time of the TESS observations since "any gas or dust emitted in late May would not be expected to produce an extended coma in the TESS observations." They added that any coma that was produced would have only become visible after the end of the TESS observations. The scientists stated that the lack of a coma detection in the TESS data means that "the observations from early May are consistent with either a bare nucleus, with very low levels of activity, or with very slow dust emission velocities."

3I/ATLAS precovery images: Scientists from the American Astronomical Society analysed TESS data to search for the coma of the interstellar comet. However, they did not find any. They explained why TESS did not picture a coma.&nbsp;

3I/ATLAS was spotted by NASA's TESS long before Atlas telescope. It saw no coma. Why?

3I/ATLAS, 2I/Borisov and Oumuamua, the three interstellar visitors, are extremely different from each other in their construction, trajectory and other aspects. They have changed the way scientists 

3I/ATLAS, 2I/Borisov and Oumuamua: How interstellar visitors are upending theories on planet and comet formation

Latest update on 3I/ATLAS: The interstellar comet is travelling through the solar system after crossing Mars in early October. It is now racing towards the Suna nd will soon reach perihelion. What next to expect from 3I/ATLAS?

Latest on 3I/ATLAS: Where is it headed, and what next to expect from interstellar comet?

Interstellar object 3I/Atlas will reveal itself in the coming weeks. Just as it reaches perihelion, that is, its closest point to the Sun, it might disintegrate into several pieces. This happens to a comet because of several reasons, such as outgassing or the gravitational force. If 3I/Atlas is a comet, the same thing is expected to happen. However, if it is not a natural object, as suspected by one scientist, it will skip this process. But in that case, he expects it to launch several mini probes that could go on to study our solar system. Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has once again raised the question of whether or not 3I/Atlas is a comet. He wrote in his blog, "If 3I/ATLAS is a comet of natural origin, it could disintegrate into fragments as it comes closer to the Sun."&nbsp;"We should keep our eyes on this fuzzy ball of light and check whether it breaks up into independent, smaller dots of light," he added. This happens because of the heating by the sun. Some other reasons comets break up include gravitational tides and rotational stress from outgassing. However, this breaking up depends on the composition and material strength of the comets. Sometimes comets are weaker, such as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was formed from smaller pieces that joined. Such comets can break up easily. Smaller comets are also vulnerable to falling apart because of thermal stress. Some comets, like 332P/Ikeya-Murakami, break apart because of rapid spin.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/nasa-s-silence-on-3i-atlas-down-to-terrestrial-stupidity-not-proof-of-alien-intelligence-1759985526293">NASA's silence on 3I/Atlas down to 'terrestrial stupidity', not proof of 'alien intelligence' - Blame govt shutdown</a>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-photo-captured-from-mars-perfect-glowing-cylinder-captivates-internet-1759727345051">3I/Atlas photo captured from Mars? 'Perfect glowing cylinder' triggers debate</a> &nbsp;<h2>3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that might replicate themselves</h2>Which category 3I/Atlas falls into could be known after October 29. However, Loeb once again raised the possibility that it is an alien spaceship. He had earlier claimed that if the interstellar object is a "mothership", it could release tiny probes to plant them on the planets. "A fleet of smaller objects could also appear as a result of a technological mothership which releases min-probes to study multiple targets simultaneously," he wrote. However, this time, he made a fresh claim that these tiny probes meant for exploration could even "self-replicate", meaning create copies of themselves to cover several locations at once.&nbsp;After 3I/Atlas comes out of the glare of the Sun, things could change dramatically. Loeb has earlier said that it could use the gravitational force of the Sun to fling itself towards Earth. That is quite a fat-fetched claim, but Loeb cites several anomalies he has noted since its discovery on July 1.&nbsp;

Latest update on 3I/Atlas: Will 3I/Atlas break apart as it nears the Sun? If it is a comet, this could happen. However, Avi Loeb claims it could release tiny probes which could replicate and spread to different locations for exploration purposes. 

Interstellar object 3I/Atlas will reveal itself in the coming weeks. Just as it reaches perihelion, that is, its closest point to the Sun, it might disintegrate into several pieces. This happens to a comet because of several reasons, such as outgassing or the gravitational force. If 3I/Atlas is a comet, the same thing is expected to happen. However, if it is not a natural object, as suspected by one scientist, it will skip this process. But in that case, he expects it to launch several mini probes that could go on to study our solar system. Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has once again raised the question of whether or not 3I/Atlas is a comet. He wrote in his blog, "If 3I/ATLAS is a comet of natural origin, it could disintegrate into fragments as it comes closer to the Sun." "We should keep our eyes on this fuzzy ball of light and check whether it breaks up into independent, smaller dots of light," he added. This happens because of the heating by the sun. Some other reasons comets break up include gravitational tides and rotational stress from outgassing. However, this breaking up depends on the composition and material strength of the comets. Sometimes comets are weaker, such as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, which was formed from smaller pieces that joined. Such comets can break up easily. Smaller comets are also vulnerable to falling apart because of thermal stress. Some comets, like 332P/Ikeya-Murakami, break apart because of rapid spin. Also Read: NASA's silence on 3I/Atlas down to 'terrestrial stupidity', not proof of 'alien intelligence' - Blame govt shutdown Also Read: 3I/Atlas photo captured from Mars? 'Perfect glowing cylinder' triggers debate 3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that might replicate themselves Which category 3I/Atlas falls into could be known after October 29. However, Loeb once again raised the possibility that it is an alien spaceship. He had earlier claimed that if the interstellar object is a "mothership", it could release tiny probes to plant them on the planets. "A fleet of smaller objects could also appear as a result of a technological mothership which releases min-probes to study multiple targets simultaneously," he wrote. However, this time, he made a fresh claim that these tiny probes meant for exploration could even "self-replicate", meaning create copies of themselves to cover several locations at once. After 3I/Atlas comes out of the glare of the Sun, things could change dramatically. Loeb has earlier said that it could use the gravitational force of the Sun to fling itself towards Earth. That is quite a fat-fetched claim, but Loeb cites several anomalies he has noted since its discovery on July 1.

Latest update on 3I/Atlas: Will 3I/Atlas break apart as it nears the Sun? If it is a comet, this could happen. However, Avi Loeb claims it could release tiny probes which could replicate and spread to different locations for exploration purposes.&nbsp;

3I/Atlas could release tiny probes that may 'self-replicate' - 'Technological mothership' could reveal itself

Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has once again claimed that 3I/Atlas, the third interstellar visitor, could be an alien piece of technology coming to probe Earth. In an interview, details of which he shared in his blog, Loeb said there is a chance that this visitor is not a natural object. He assigned "a 30–40% likelihood that 3I/ATLAS does not have a fully natural origin," based on the seven anomalies the object has exhibited. The professor claims there is a "low-probability scenario" wherein it turns out that it is "a Trojan Horse", meaning "a technological object masquerades as a natural comet." He admitted that this figure is not rigid and it will evolve based on further observations in the coming months.&nbsp;&nbsp;Right now, we are waiting for more images of 3I/Atlas taken by the Mars orbiters, which would have observed it during its flyby of the Red Planet on October 3. A picture of 3I/Atlas taken by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has been released by the European Space Agency (ESA). Data from Mars Express is awaited, while NASA has gone completely mum, thanks to the shutdown. The JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) probe sent by the European Space Agency (ESA) is expected to take a closer look in November. Loeb is hopeful of lots of data on the interstellar object in the coming months, which will help decode the true nature of the interstellar visitor.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/nasa-s-silence-on-3i-atlas-down-to-terrestrial-stupidity-not-proof-of-alien-intelligence-1759985526293">NASA's silence on 3I/Atlas down to 'terrestrial stupidity', not proof of 'alien intelligence' - Blame govt shutdown</a> &nbsp;<h2>Interstellar object 3I/Atlas anomalies</h2>The scientist has so far spotted seven anomalies in 3I/Atlas. First is its size, as he claims its diameter is likely larger than 5 kilometres, with its mass being at least 33 billion tons. That makes it way larger than ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov. The object is moving at a speed of 210,000 km/hour, which he says is not possible for a cosmic object of this size.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-first-contact-or-existential-threat-netizens-are-convinced-nasa-and-esa-are-hiding-something-1759728703636">3I/Atlas, 'first contact or existential threat'? Why some netizens are convinced something is wrong</a>&nbsp;Citing the Hubble image, Loeb says that 3I/Atlas does not have a cometary tail. In fact, he says it has an anti-tail, a forward jet of scattered sunlight that is 10 times longer than it is wide. Later pictures showed a small tail, as corroborated by the TGO images as well. The plume of gas around 3I/Atlas mostly consists of nickel and not as much iron, which he says is comparable to industrial nickel alloys. The light from 3I/ATLAS showed extreme negative polarisation, and Loeb thinks this object could be making its own light.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-photo-captured-from-mars-perfect-glowing-cylinder-captivates-internet-1759727345051">3I/Atlas photo captured from Mars? 'Perfect glowing cylinder' triggers debate</a> &nbsp;<h2>3I/Atlas trajectory and arrival</h2>The most fascinating and puzzling anomaly he cites is its trajectory. Firstly, 3I/Atlas is aligned with the ecliptic plane of planets around the Sun to within 5 degrees, which he says has only a &nbsp;0.2% chance of happening. Second, this path will bring it close to at least three planets - Mars, Venus and Jupiter - and this, he says, has a 0.005% likelihood. His other observation and calculation show that the Wow! Signal of 1977 came from the same direction as 3I/Atlas. Could it have beamed the signal?<h2>The Trojan Horse</h2>Loeb says the world should be prepared to battle an enemy that could be just like the Trojan Horse from Greek mythology. Inside a wooden horse that the Trojans brought inside their city were Greek soldiers who emerged at night and opened the gates to the Troy to let the rest of the army in. This event is believed to have brought an end to the Trojan War. &nbsp;

3I/Atlas update today: 3I/Atlas, the third interstellar visitor, could turn out to be a Trojan Horse, a scientist claims. He says there is a 40 per cent chance that it is not a natural object. But he admits his data could change depending on future observations.

Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has once again claimed that 3I/Atlas, the third interstellar visitor, could be an alien piece of technology coming to probe Earth. In an interview, details of which he shared in his blog, Loeb said there is a chance that this visitor is not a natural object. He assigned "a 30–40% likelihood that 3I/ATLAS does not have a fully natural origin," based on the seven anomalies the object has exhibited. The professor claims there is a "low-probability scenario" wherein it turns out that it is "a Trojan Horse", meaning "a technological object masquerades as a natural comet." He admitted that this figure is not rigid and it will evolve based on further observations in the coming months. Right now, we are waiting for more images of 3I/Atlas taken by the Mars orbiters, which would have observed it during its flyby of the Red Planet on October 3. A picture of 3I/Atlas taken by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) has been released by the European Space Agency (ESA). Data from Mars Express is awaited, while NASA has gone completely mum, thanks to the shutdown. The JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) probe sent by the European Space Agency (ESA) is expected to take a closer look in November. Loeb is hopeful of lots of data on the interstellar object in the coming months, which will help decode the true nature of the interstellar visitor. Also Read: NASA's silence on 3I/Atlas down to 'terrestrial stupidity', not proof of 'alien intelligence' - Blame govt shutdown Interstellar object 3I/Atlas anomalies The scientist has so far spotted seven anomalies in 3I/Atlas. First is its size, as he claims its diameter is likely larger than 5 kilometres, with its mass being at least 33 billion tons. That makes it way larger than ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov. The object is moving at a speed of 210,000 km/hour, which he says is not possible for a cosmic object of this size. Also Read: 3I/Atlas, 'first contact or existential threat'? Why some netizens are convinced something is wrong Citing the Hubble image, Loeb says that 3I/Atlas does not have a cometary tail. In fact, he says it has an anti-tail, a forward jet of scattered sunlight that is 10 times longer than it is wide. Later pictures showed a small tail, as corroborated by the TGO images as well. The plume of gas around 3I/Atlas mostly consists of nickel and not as much iron, which he says is comparable to industrial nickel alloys. The light from 3I/ATLAS showed extreme negative polarisation, and Loeb thinks this object could be making its own light. Also Read: 3I/Atlas photo captured from Mars? 'Perfect glowing cylinder' triggers debate 3I/Atlas trajectory and arrival The most fascinating and puzzling anomaly he cites is its trajectory. Firstly, 3I/Atlas is aligned with the ecliptic plane of planets around the Sun to within 5 degrees, which he says has only a 0.2% chance of happening. Second, this path will bring it close to at least three planets - Mars, Venus and Jupiter - and this, he says, has a 0.005% likelihood. His other observation and calculation show that the Wow! Signal of 1977 came from the same direction as 3I/Atlas. Could it have beamed the signal? The Trojan Horse Loeb says the world should be prepared to battle an enemy that could be just like the Trojan Horse from Greek mythology. Inside a wooden horse that the Trojans brought inside their city were Greek soldiers who emerged at night and opened the gates to the Troy to let the rest of the army in. This event is believed to have brought an end to the Trojan War.

3I/Atlas update today: 3I/Atlas, the third interstellar visitor, could turn out to be a Trojan Horse, a scientist claims. He says there is a 40 per cent chance that it is not a natural object. But he admits his data could change depending on future observations.

3I/Atlas could be 'Trojan Horse' - 40% chance it's alien tech masquerading as a comet, scientist says

Social media is abuzz with the new photo of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas taken by a Mars rover. While the world waits for the first photos of the object taken by Mars orbiters, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has snapped a photo that has sent netizens and astronomy enthusiasts into a tizzy. The photo shows 3I/Atlas as a perfect white cylinder soaring above the Martian sky. The absence of a tail or any fuzzy material around it has netizens convinced that it could be an alien spaceship and not a comet, a claim made by Harvard scientist Avi Loeb. Sharing the photo, a user wrote on X, "A perfect glowing cylinder drifting across the Martian sky. No dust plume. No fragmentation. Just… structure." The odd shape has added more supporters to the "alien mothership" theory. Several people think that 3I/Atlas isn't a comet but a piece of alien technology.&nbsp;"The newest and closest of 3I/Atlas as it passes Mars right this moment, minutes ago. It's not a comet...its perfectly cylindrical. Its an interstellar craft of some kind," another user wrote, citing images taken by the Navcam on the Perseverance rover. But why do we only have a single photo taken by a rover when the orbiters were best positioned to capture 3I/Atlas? No space agency has revealed its observations of the interstellar object. The photo, combined with the fact that no official release on what the Mars orbiters saw, has triggered the biggest discussion on social media. Should we be worried about 3I/Atlas? Could it really be an alien spaceship coming for Earth?Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-photo-captured-from-mars-perfect-glowing-cylinder-captivates-internet-1759727345051">3I/Atlas photo captured from Mars: 'Perfect glowing cylinder' triggers debate</a> &nbsp;<h2>Why have space agencies gone silent on 3I/Atlas? People are wondering</h2>Some people are convinced that something sinister is going on with 3I/Atlas as NASA, ESA and China's space agency have gone silent. NASA shut down exactly when the interstellar object was flying by Mars. ESA is yet to make any revelations about 3I/Atlas and everything two of its orbiters would have captured while hovering over Mars. A user wrote, "Only NASA and ESA have Mars Orbiter images and videos of 3i ATLAS, and they classify them again as TOP SECRET. The public has no access to any official image of 3I/ATLAS since 27-Aug-2025." The most concerning thing, people say, is China's silence, since if it has captured something, it would use it to flex its muscles in the international space race. So why has it not released anything yet?Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-flies-by-mars-nasa-or-esa-whose-orbiter-can-get-the-sharpest-shots-of-the-comet-1759480010987">3I/Atlas flies by Mars - NASA or ESA? Whose orbiter can get the sharpest shots of the comet?</a> &nbsp;One user thinks that this is a sign that something is not right with 3I/Atlas. He wrote, "The only plausible explanation: All five agencies saw something that requires coordinated response. Artificial confirmation is a species-level event, not a national one—U.S.-China rivalry becomes irrelevant if both face potential first contact or existential threat."&nbsp;<h2>3I/Atlas anomalies</h2>3I/Atlas is not like a regular comet observed in the solar system. It was officially discovered on July 1, and since then, several anomalies have been flagged. Its trajectory revealed that it was coming from outside our solar system. 3I/Atlas is only the third interstellar object spotted by humans. It has a strange trajectory, as it moves in a straight path which brings it near several planets, including Mars and Jupiter. Its size is also a topic of debate, as some astronomers think it is only about a kilometre wide, while Avi Loeb says data suggest that it is 46 kilometres in diameter and has a mass of 33 billion tonnes. 3I/Atlas is also moving very fast - 210,000 km/hour. Avi Loeb says, assuming it is as large as we think, it defies the rules of space with its speed. &nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Hey Everybody The newest and closest of 3I/Atlas as it passes Mars right this moment minutes ago. Its not a comet...its perfectly cylindrical. Its an interstellar craft of some kind...Mars Perseverance Sol 1643: Right Navigation Camera (Navcam). Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech. <a href="https://t.co/Lqjue3hVs4">pic.twitter.com/Lqjue3hVs4</a>&mdash; Conan Doyle (@ConanDo08743902) <a href="https://twitter.com/ConanDo08743902/status/1974577995433341241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">China&#39;s silence on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/3IATLAS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#3IATLAS</a> is more concerning than NASA&#39;s shutdown Three days ago, 3I/ATLAS—the third confirmed interstellar object—made its closest approach to Mars (30 million km), with five spacecraft positioned to capture unprecedented observations: NASA&#39;s Mars… <a href="https://t.co/mA5kIhuYVy">pic.twitter.com/mA5kIhuYVy</a>&mdash; Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) <a href="https://twitter.com/surajit_ghosh2/status/1975018046789181927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Latest update on 3I/Atlas: Could the interstellar object be an alien spaceship? The silence by NASA, ESA and China on 3I/Atlas ever since it flew by Mars has raised concerns about the nature of the object. Besides, its shape has added to the intrigue.

Social media is abuzz with the new photo of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas taken by a Mars rover. While the world waits for the first photos of the object taken by Mars orbiters, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover has snapped a photo that has sent netizens and astronomy enthusiasts into a tizzy. The photo shows 3I/Atlas as a perfect white cylinder soaring above the Martian sky. The absence of a tail or any fuzzy material around it has netizens convinced that it could be an alien spaceship and not a comet, a claim made by Harvard scientist Avi Loeb. Sharing the photo, a user wrote on X, "A perfect glowing cylinder drifting across the Martian sky. No dust plume. No fragmentation. Just… structure." The odd shape has added more supporters to the "alien mothership" theory. Several people think that 3I/Atlas isn't a comet but a piece of alien technology. "The newest and closest of 3I/Atlas as it passes Mars right this moment, minutes ago. It's not a comet...its perfectly cylindrical. Its an interstellar craft of some kind," another user wrote, citing images taken by the Navcam on the Perseverance rover. But why do we only have a single photo taken by a rover when the orbiters were best positioned to capture 3I/Atlas? No space agency has revealed its observations of the interstellar object. The photo, combined with the fact that no official release on what the Mars orbiters saw, has triggered the biggest discussion on social media. Should we be worried about 3I/Atlas? Could it really be an alien spaceship coming for Earth? Also Read: 3I/Atlas photo captured from Mars: 'Perfect glowing cylinder' triggers debate Why have space agencies gone silent on 3I/Atlas? People are wondering Some people are convinced that something sinister is going on with 3I/Atlas as NASA, ESA and China's space agency have gone silent. NASA shut down exactly when the interstellar object was flying by Mars. ESA is yet to make any revelations about 3I/Atlas and everything two of its orbiters would have captured while hovering over Mars. A user wrote, "Only NASA and ESA have Mars Orbiter images and videos of 3i ATLAS, and they classify them again as TOP SECRET. The public has no access to any official image of 3I/ATLAS since 27-Aug-2025." The most concerning thing, people say, is China's silence, since if it has captured something, it would use it to flex its muscles in the international space race. So why has it not released anything yet? Also Read: 3I/Atlas flies by Mars - NASA or ESA? Whose orbiter can get the sharpest shots of the comet? One user thinks that this is a sign that something is not right with 3I/Atlas. He wrote, "The only plausible explanation: All five agencies saw something that requires coordinated response. Artificial confirmation is a species-level event, not a national one—U.S.-China rivalry becomes irrelevant if both face potential first contact or existential threat." 3I/Atlas anomalies 3I/Atlas is not like a regular comet observed in the solar system. It was officially discovered on July 1, and since then, several anomalies have been flagged. Its trajectory revealed that it was coming from outside our solar system. 3I/Atlas is only the third interstellar object spotted by humans. It has a strange trajectory, as it moves in a straight path which brings it near several planets, including Mars and Jupiter. Its size is also a topic of debate, as some astronomers think it is only about a kilometre wide, while Avi Loeb says data suggest that it is 46 kilometres in diameter and has a mass of 33 billion tonnes. 3I/Atlas is also moving very fast - 210,000 km/hour. Avi Loeb says, assuming it is as large as we think, it defies the rules of space with its speed.

Latest update on 3I/Atlas: Could the interstellar object be an alien spaceship? The silence by NASA, ESA and China on 3I/Atlas ever since it flew by Mars has raised concerns about the nature of the object. Besides, its shape has added to the intrigue.

3I/Atlas, 'first contact or existential threat'? Why some netizens are convinced something is wrong

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas flew by Mars on October 3, but we have yet to get any images of the mysterious bodies that the orbiter would have captured. However, a photo of the object taken by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover is doing the rounds on social media. It shows a bright cylindrical object zooming through the sky. The odd shape has triggered fresh curiosity about 3I/Atlas and whether it is really a comet, or an "alien mothership", as Avi Loeb claims. An X user wrote, "A perfect glowing cylinder drifting across the Martian sky. No dust plume. No fragmentation. Just… structure." Ever since 3I/Atlas was spotted on July 1, scientists across the world have been in awe of the interstellar visitor that has been displaying several anomalies. Its shape, as seen in the images released by NASA, is being flagged as another anomaly. However, according to a scientist, there is a perfect explanation for why the object appears like a cylinder.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/october-29-the-day-of-reckoning-for-3i-atlas-scientist-warns-of-historic-shift-1759390829002">October 29: The day of reckoning for 3I/ATLAS - Scientist warns of historic shift</a><h2>Loeb explains why 3I/Atlas appears like a cylinder</h2>Harvard scientist Loeb explains that the strange shape in the photos does not conclusively prove that 3I/Atlas is a spaceship. The photo was taken when it was at a distance of about 38 million kilometres from Mars. It was taken by the Navcam on the Perseverance rover. He says the photo was taken "at a spatial scale of about 12,500 kilometres at the distance of 3I/ATLAS from Mars." Loeb says this shows that the stripe is about 50,000 kilometres long. He once again claimed that data from the SPHEREx space observatory shows that the object has a diameter of 46 kilometres. The picture taken by the NAVCAM is a thousand times longer than this upper limit and, "therefore, must be an artefact of a long integration time given that the source moves across the Martian sky."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/scientist-estimates-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-beamed-the-wow-signal-48-years-ago-1759119107709">Scientist estimates interstellar object 3I/Atlas beamed the Wow! Signal 48 years ago - 'How powerful was...'</a>&nbsp;He corroborates this data with the pictures taken by the Hubble telescope on July 21, 202. If 3I/Atlas was 50,000 kilometres, "it would have occupied an angular size of 23 arcseconds in the Hubble Space Telescope image", he says. Instead, it "appears smaller by at least an order of magnitude in the actual Hubble image." Loeb wrote that this suggests that the long stripe was simply "generated by the integration time used to make the composite Navcam image" while 3I/ATLAS moved across the Martian sky. So the stripe likely appears elongated because hundreds of pictures taken by the NAVCAM were stacked over a total time interval of about 10 minutes.&nbsp;<h2>3I/Atlas anomalies</h2>Ever since the interstellar object was officially discovered on July 1, several anomalies have been noted. Its trajectory was the biggest giveaway that it is travelling from outside our solar system. The path brings it close to several planets moving in a straight line. It is also believed to be enormous, around 46 kilometres big and with a mass of 33 billion tonnes. 3I/Atlas is also moving at an extremely fast pace - 60,000 km/sec, or 220,000 km/hour. Avi Loeb says it is impossible for such a huge object to move at this pace. The gases released by it are also not in line with the rules of Physics.&nbsp; &nbsp;

3i/atlas update today: A picture of the interstellar comet 3I/Atlas taken by the Perseverance rover on the Martian surface has intrigued the internet. A perfect glowing cylinder is seen zooming above, with no hints of a comet. People are again asking whether it is an alien spaceship. 

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas flew by Mars on October 3, but we have yet to get any images of the mysterious bodies that the orbiter would have captured. However, a photo of the object taken by NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover is doing the rounds on social media. It shows a bright cylindrical object zooming through the sky. The odd shape has triggered fresh curiosity about 3I/Atlas and whether it is really a comet, or an "alien mothership", as Avi Loeb claims. An X user wrote, "A perfect glowing cylinder drifting across the Martian sky. No dust plume. No fragmentation. Just… structure." Ever since 3I/Atlas was spotted on July 1, scientists across the world have been in awe of the interstellar visitor that has been displaying several anomalies. Its shape, as seen in the images released by NASA, is being flagged as another anomaly. However, according to a scientist, there is a perfect explanation for why the object appears like a cylinder. Also Read: October 29: The day of reckoning for 3I/ATLAS - Scientist warns of historic shift Loeb explains why 3I/Atlas appears like a cylinder Harvard scientist Loeb explains that the strange shape in the photos does not conclusively prove that 3I/Atlas is a spaceship. The photo was taken when it was at a distance of about 38 million kilometres from Mars. It was taken by the Navcam on the Perseverance rover. He says the photo was taken "at a spatial scale of about 12,500 kilometres at the distance of 3I/ATLAS from Mars." Loeb says this shows that the stripe is about 50,000 kilometres long. He once again claimed that data from the SPHEREx space observatory shows that the object has a diameter of 46 kilometres. The picture taken by the NAVCAM is a thousand times longer than this upper limit and, "therefore, must be an artefact of a long integration time given that the source moves across the Martian sky." Also Read: Scientist estimates interstellar object 3I/Atlas beamed the Wow! Signal 48 years ago - 'How powerful was...' He corroborates this data with the pictures taken by the Hubble telescope on July 21, 202. If 3I/Atlas was 50,000 kilometres, "it would have occupied an angular size of 23 arcseconds in the Hubble Space Telescope image", he says. Instead, it "appears smaller by at least an order of magnitude in the actual Hubble image." Loeb wrote that this suggests that the long stripe was simply "generated by the integration time used to make the composite Navcam image" while 3I/ATLAS moved across the Martian sky. So the stripe likely appears elongated because hundreds of pictures taken by the NAVCAM were stacked over a total time interval of about 10 minutes. 3I/Atlas anomalies Ever since the interstellar object was officially discovered on July 1, several anomalies have been noted. Its trajectory was the biggest giveaway that it is travelling from outside our solar system. The path brings it close to several planets moving in a straight line. It is also believed to be enormous, around 46 kilometres big and with a mass of 33 billion tonnes. 3I/Atlas is also moving at an extremely fast pace - 60,000 km/sec, or 220,000 km/hour. Avi Loeb says it is impossible for such a huge object to move at this pace. The gases released by it are also not in line with the rules of Physics.

3I/atlas update today: A supposed picture of 3I/Atlas taken by the Perseverance rover on the Martian surface has intrigued the internet. A perfect glowing cylinder is seen zooming above, with no hints of a comet. People are again asking whether it is an alien spaceship.&nbsp;

3I/Atlas photo captured from Mars? 'Perfect glowing cylinder' triggers debate

Interstellar object 3I/Atlas is hurtling towards the inner solar system at great speed. It has raised curiosity not only among scientists but also among the common man. One scientist thinks it could be an alien spacecraft, and so there are tons of questions about 3I/Atlas.

3I/Atlas photos and all your questions about the interstellar object answered

Interstellar object 3I/Atlas has been ruled a comet by most of the astronomical community. But there is one scientist who thinks it could be an "alien mothership" coming after not just Earth, but also the other planets in the solar system. Avi Loeb says it is only a matter of a couple of days before the object reveals its true self. 3I/Atlas is approaching Mars and will be at its closest point to the red planet on October 3. Then it will travel to a point where it will go behind the Sun, becoming invisible from Earth. After vanishing from our sight, 3I/Atlas might use the Sun's gravity to fling itself towards Earth. Right now, its trajectory won't bring it anywhere near Earth, and it is expected to fly by at a safe distance. But, Loeb says things can change after October 29. If it is a piece of alien technology coming with the intention to probe us, it might use the hideout time to implement its plan and swing towards Earth. He claimed this while talking to TV actor Mayim Bialik on her YouTube show Breakdown. Loeb staunchly believes that 3I/Atlas has so many anomalies that it shouldn't be dismissed as merely a comet.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/threat-to-earth-speed-age-and-more-all-your-questions-about-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-answered-1759204932732">Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas: Threat to Earth, speed, age and other questions answered</a>&nbsp;<h2>3I/Atlas anomalies - Speed, size, light</h2>The Harvard scientist has listed the problems with the interstellar visitor. First, its trajectory is strange. 3I/Atlas is travelling in a straight line, such that it comes close to several planets, primarily Mars and Jupiter. Second, based on the observations by the Hubble and Webb Telescopes, Loeb projects that 3I/Atlas is humongous. He says it could easily have a nucleus measuring 46 kilometres in diameter, based on its brightness. His later analysis showed that the mass of 3I/ATLAS is bigger than 33 billion tons, and that the "diameter of its solid-density nucleus must be larger than 5 kilometres." He says the chances of it being a natural object are tiny because, before finding such a huge interstellar object, we should have found thousands of much smaller space rocks.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-anomalies-its-mass-is-likely-bigger-than-33-billion-tons-too-large-to-be-a-comet-1758857250208">3I/Atlas anomalies: Its mass is likely bigger than 33 billion tons, too large to be a comet</a>&nbsp;Another anomaly he cites is the light it is generating. Loeb thinks that this object is creating its own light, being released by its nucleus, irrespective of how much sunlight is reflecting off it. It is also racing at a speed of 200,000 km/hour, which he says is impossible for such a large object. For the longest time, 3I/Atlas didn't have a tail. A comet develops a tail as it comes closer to the Sun because of a process called outgassing. But none of the telescopes picked up a cometary tail. Earlier in September, the Gemini Telescope in Chile saw the object developing a tail.&nbsp;<h2>Loeb calls on world leaders to be prepared for 3I/Atlas</h2>Loeb has called on governments across the world to be prepared for a scenario where 3I/Atlas actually turns out to be an alien spacecraft. It is slated to reappear in early December after hiding in the Sun's glare. At its closest point, it will be 273 million kilometres. However, if it does use the Sun's gravity, like Loeb suggests, that day might come sooner than expected.

Avi Loeb has given a date that might change things with 3I/Atlas. This is the day when the interstellar object will move behind the Sun. From here, it might change its trajectory and come right towards Earth. 

Interstellar object 3I/Atlas has been ruled a comet by most of the astronomical community. But there is one scientist who thinks it could be an "alien mothership" coming after not just Earth, but also the other planets in the solar system. Avi Loeb says it is only a matter of a couple of days before the object reveals its true self. 3I/Atlas is approaching Mars and will be at its closest point to the red planet on October 3. Then it will travel to a point where it will go behind the Sun, becoming invisible from Earth. After vanishing from our sight, 3I/Atlas might use the Sun's gravity to fling itself towards Earth. Right now, its trajectory won't bring it anywhere near Earth, and it is expected to fly by at a safe distance. But, Loeb says things can change after October 29. If it is a piece of alien technology coming with the intention to probe us, it might use the hideout time to implement its plan and swing towards Earth. He claimed this while talking to TV actor Mayim Bialik on her YouTube show Breakdown. Loeb staunchly believes that 3I/Atlas has so many anomalies that it shouldn't be dismissed as merely a comet. Also Read: Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas: Threat to Earth, speed, age and other questions answered 3I/Atlas anomalies - Speed, size, light The Harvard scientist has listed the problems with the interstellar visitor. First, its trajectory is strange. 3I/Atlas is travelling in a straight line, such that it comes close to several planets, primarily Mars and Jupiter. Second, based on the observations by the Hubble and Webb Telescopes, Loeb projects that 3I/Atlas is humongous. He says it could easily have a nucleus measuring 46 kilometres in diameter, based on its brightness. His later analysis showed that the mass of 3I/ATLAS is bigger than 33 billion tons, and that the "diameter of its solid-density nucleus must be larger than 5 kilometres." He says the chances of it being a natural object are tiny because, before finding such a huge interstellar object, we should have found thousands of much smaller space rocks. Also Read: 3I/Atlas anomalies: Its mass is likely bigger than 33 billion tons, too large to be a comet Another anomaly he cites is the light it is generating. Loeb thinks that this object is creating its own light, being released by its nucleus, irrespective of how much sunlight is reflecting off it. It is also racing at a speed of 200,000 km/hour, which he says is impossible for such a large object. For the longest time, 3I/Atlas didn't have a tail. A comet develops a tail as it comes closer to the Sun because of a process called outgassing. But none of the telescopes picked up a cometary tail. Earlier in September, the Gemini Telescope in Chile saw the object developing a tail. Loeb calls on world leaders to be prepared for 3I/Atlas Loeb has called on governments across the world to be prepared for a scenario where 3I/Atlas actually turns out to be an alien spacecraft. It is slated to reappear in early December after hiding in the Sun's glare. At its closest point, it will be 273 million kilometres. However, if it does use the Sun's gravity, like Loeb suggests, that day might come sooner than expected.

Avi Loeb has given a date that might change things with 3I/Atlas. This is the day when the interstellar object will move behind the Sun. From here, it might change its trajectory and come right towards Earth.&nbsp;

October 29: The day of reckoning for 3I/ATLAS - Scientist warns of historic shift

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas will cross over Mars within the next two days. Space agencies across the world that have orbiters over the red planet are getting ready to point them at the alien comet. Here is what they can reveal about 3I/Atlas.

3I/Atlas has a date with Mars on October 3, and human probes are waiting with bated breath

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas is the hottest topic among astronomers right now. Its speed, light, trajectory, tail, everything is strange. This visitor from outside the solar system is not behaving like a typical comet. Its appearance and behaviour have confused scientists. One of them has even flagged it, claiming it could be a dangerous alien spaceship coming to probe the planets in the solar system, and that we should be ready to combat a possible threat. This has made even the common man interested in the comet. The alien attack theory has gone viral, and everyone is looking for answers. Here are some common questions answered about <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/scientist-estimates-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-beamed-the-wow-signal-48-years-ago-1759119107709">3I/Atlas</a>.&nbsp;<h2>What is 3I/Atlas?</h2>It is an interstellar object that was first observed on July 1 by the ATLAS Survey Telescope in Chile. Since then, several other telescopes, such as the James Webb, Hubble and the Very Large Telescope, have also captured images of the object zooming through the solar system.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-anomalies-its-mass-is-likely-bigger-than-33-billion-tons-too-large-to-be-a-comet-1758857250208">3I/Atlas anomalies: Its mass is likely bigger than 33 billion tons, too large to be a comet</a><h2>How do we know that 3I/Atlas is coming from interstellar space?</h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/everything-we-know-about-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-size-speed-origin-arrival-and-alien-speculations-explained-1757413577593">3I/Atlas</a> has a strange trajectory. Its path is careening through the solar system in a way that comets that reside in our solar system do not typically behave. This led scientists to conclude that 3I/Atlas is an interstellar visitor.<h2>Speed of 3I/Atlas</h2>The object is moving at a staggering speed of 221,000 km/hr.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/interstellar-object-3i-atlas-grows-visible-tail-in-live-gemini-images-1757049928075">Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS grows visible tail in live Gemini images. So, it's a comet?</a><h2>How old is 3I/Atlas?</h2>The alien comet is older than our solar system. According to a July 2025 study led by Matthew Hopkins, 3I/ATLAS could be between 7.6 and 14 billion years old. This makes 3I/ATLAS older than the solar system, which was born 4.6 billion years ago.<h2>How big is 3I/Atlas?</h2>There is no consensus on the size of 3I/Atlas. The Hubble Space Telescope observations suggest that the diameter of 3I/ATLAS's nucleus is between 0.32 and 5.6 km, with scientists saying it is likely only about a kilometre in diameter. Meanwhile, Harvard scientist Avi Loeb claims that its nucleus measures 46 kilometres. Recently, a study by Loeb, Richard Cloete and Peter Veres showed that the mass of 3I/ATLAS must be bigger than 33 billion tons, and that the "diameter of its solid-density nucleus must be larger than 5 kilometres."<h2>When was 3I/Atlas first seen?</h2>Officially, it was first detected on July 1 by the Atlas telescope in Chile. However, scientists then checked for more data on other telescopes and found that NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) had pictured it back in May. It showed that between May 7 and June 3, 3I/ATLAS suddenly became five times brighter. This increasing brightness was an anomaly, as scientists say the brightness should have gone up by only 1.5 times.<h2>3I/Atlas anomalies</h2>If it is 33 billion tons in mass, it is an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/3i-atlas-anomalies-its-mass-is-likely-bigger-than-33-billion-tons-too-large-to-be-a-comet-1758857250208">anomaly</a> for a regular comet. Its trajectory makes it pass through most of the planets in the solar system, which has also been flagged as an anomaly. It also lacked a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-could-soon-lose-its-tail-following-a-beating-by-our-sun-1758870238505">cometary tail</a> for a long time, which stumped scientists. It is moving at an extremely fast speed. Loeb even claimed at one point that it seems to be generating its own light.&nbsp;https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-the-latest-object-from-beyond-our-solar-system-1756530823580/embed<h2>Will 3I/Atlas hit Earth?</h2>No. The interstellar object is slated to safely pass by Earth. Its closest approach to our planet will be in December 2025, when it will be at a distance of about 1.8 AU (273 million kilometres).<h2>Where is 3I/Atlas now?</h2>Right now, 3I/Atlas is about 3.5 astronomical units (523 million kilometres) from Earth. It is zooming towards the inner solar system and is inside the orbit of Jupiter. It will reach perihelion, that is, its closest point to the Sun, on October 30, 2025.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

How old is interstellar comet 3I/Atlas? How do we know it is coming from interstellar space? Will it hit Earth? What is its nature, and what speed is it moving at? Here are all your queries about 3I/Atlas answered.

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas is the hottest topic among astronomers right now. Its speed, light, trajectory, tail, everything is strange. This visitor from outside the solar system is not behaving like a typical comet. Its appearance and behaviour have confused scientists. One of them has even flagged it, claiming it could be a dangerous alien spaceship coming to probe the planets in the solar system, and that we should be ready to combat a possible threat. This has made even the common man interested in the comet. The alien attack theory has gone viral, and everyone is looking for answers. Here are some common questions answered about 3I/Atlas. What is 3I/Atlas? It is an interstellar object that was first observed on July 1 by the ATLAS Survey Telescope in Chile. Since then, several other telescopes, such as the James Webb, Hubble and the Very Large Telescope, have also captured images of the object zooming through the solar system. Also Read: 3I/Atlas anomalies: Its mass is likely bigger than 33 billion tons, too large to be a comet How do we know that 3I/Atlas is coming from interstellar space? 3I/Atlas has a strange trajectory. Its path is careening through the solar system in a way that comets that reside in our solar system do not typically behave. This led scientists to conclude that 3I/Atlas is an interstellar visitor. Speed of 3I/Atlas The object is moving at a staggering speed of 221,000 km/hr. Also Read: Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS grows visible tail in live Gemini images. So, it's a comet? How old is 3I/Atlas? The alien comet is older than our solar system. According to a July 2025 study led by Matthew Hopkins, 3I/ATLAS could be between 7.6 and 14 billion years old. This makes 3I/ATLAS older than the solar system, which was born 4.6 billion years ago. How big is 3I/Atlas? There is no consensus on the size of 3I/Atlas. The Hubble Space Telescope observations suggest that the diameter of 3I/ATLAS's nucleus is between 0.32 and 5.6 km, with scientists saying it is likely only about a kilometre in diameter. Meanwhile, Harvard scientist Avi Loeb claims that its nucleus measures 46 kilometres. Recently, a study by Loeb, Richard Cloete and Peter Veres showed that the mass of 3I/ATLAS must be bigger than 33 billion tons, and that the "diameter of its solid-density nucleus must be larger than 5 kilometres." When was 3I/Atlas first seen? Officially, it was first detected on July 1 by the Atlas telescope in Chile. However, scientists then checked for more data on other telescopes and found that NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) had pictured it back in May. It showed that between May 7 and June 3, 3I/ATLAS suddenly became five times brighter. This increasing brightness was an anomaly, as scientists say the brightness should have gone up by only 1.5 times. 3I/Atlas anomalies If it is 33 billion tons in mass, it is an anomaly for a regular comet. Its trajectory makes it pass through most of the planets in the solar system, which has also been flagged as an anomaly. It also lacked a cometary tail for a long time, which stumped scientists. It is moving at an extremely fast speed. Loeb even claimed at one point that it seems to be generating its own light. https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-the-latest-object-from-beyond-our-solar-system-1756530823580/embed Will 3I/Atlas hit Earth? No. The interstellar object is slated to safely pass by Earth. Its closest approach to our planet will be in December 2025, when it will be at a distance of about 1.8 AU (273 million kilometres). Where is 3I/Atlas now? Right now, 3I/Atlas is about 3.5 astronomical units (523 million kilometres) from Earth. It is zooming towards the inner solar system and is inside the orbit of Jupiter. It will reach perihelion, that is, its closest point to the Sun, on October 30, 2025.

How old is interstellar comet 3I/Atlas? How do we know it is coming from interstellar space? Will it hit Earth? What is its nature, and what speed is it moving at? Here are all your queries about 3I/Atlas answered.

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas: Threat to Earth, speed, age and other questions answered

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas was the likely origin point of the famous Wow! Signal detected in 1977, according to Harvard scientist Avi Loeb. In a new blog post, he pointed to the probability that the signal was sent by the interstellar object 48 years ago. He listed a series of calculations to deduce the position of 3I/Atlas in 1977, right about the time the Wow! Signal reached Earth originating in a far-off location. Loeb concluded that the two points in space are quite near, which means the chances of something else transmitting the signal were minuscule. "The ‘Wow! Signal’ originated from the sky coordinates of Right Ascension (RA)=19h25m=291 degrees and Declination (Dec)=-27 degrees," he wrote. The signal believed to have come from an extraterrestrial object at the time was recorded on August 15, 1977. At this time, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was at a distance of "about 600 times the Earth-Sun separation (AU)."<h2>When was Wow! Signal detected?</h2>He deduced that the "Wow! Signal was separated by approximately 4 degrees in RA and 8 degrees in Dec from the direction of 3I/ATLAS." Loeb added that the "chance of two random directions in the sky being aligned to that level is about 0.6 per cent," which means it is possible that 3I/Atlas emitted the Wow Signal. If this is the case, then it raises another question: "How powerful was the transmitter?" The Wow! Signal was detected by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) astronomer Jerry R. Ehman. He was using the Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope when a sudden signal stumped him. It was such a strange occurrence that he simply wrote the words "Wow" on a piece of paper, which was later used to name the strange signal. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com//science/astronomers-may-have-solved-the-mystery-of-wow-signal-nearly-50-years-later-752972">Astronomers may have solved the mystery of WOW! signal nearly 50 years later</a>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-could-soon-lose-its-tail-following-a-beating-by-our-sun-1758870238505">Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas could soon lose its tail following a beating by our Sun</a>&nbsp;The Wow! Signal remains unexplained to date. Scientists have been racking their brains for answers for decades, but the signal remains an anomaly. A few weeks ago, a study claimed that the Wow! Signal was much stronger than previously thought, and it seems to have originated from somewhere in the Milky Way. The intensity of the “Wow! Signal” is reported to be in the range of 54–212 Jansky with a bandwidth of about 10 kilohertz, which Loeb says "corresponds to a source power of 0.5–2 gigawatts, the output of a typical nuclear reactor on Earth." Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/deep-space-radio-signals-cosmic-mystery-object-pulsar-magnetar-1748517706567">44 minutes apart, 2 minutes every time: Something from deep space is sending signals to Earth</a>&nbsp;Loeb further deduced that the direction of both the Wow! Signal and 3I/Atlas are pretty much the same, and hopes that the "coincidence in the arrival direction of 3I/ATLAS and the Wow! Signal" will prompt research into whether 3I/ATLAS shows any radio transmission.&nbsp;<h2>Where is 3I/Atlas? Speed of 3I/Atlas&nbsp;</h2>3I/Atlas is pacing at a speed of 221,000 km/hr, or 60,000 km/s. The alien comet will come near Mars in the next few days, and on October 3, the CaSSIS camera onboard ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) will be ready to take pictures of this alien comet.

Was the Wow! Signal emitted by interstellar comet 3I/Atlas? A scientist says the comet is travelling from the same place in space from where the Wow! Signal originated. He says the chance of this happening is extremely tiny.

Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas was the likely origin point of the famous Wow! Signal detected in 1977, according to Harvard scientist Avi Loeb. In a new blog post, he pointed to the probability that the signal was sent by the interstellar object 48 years ago. He listed a series of calculations to deduce the position of 3I/Atlas in 1977, right about the time the Wow! Signal reached Earth originating in a far-off location. Loeb concluded that the two points in space are quite near, which means the chances of something else transmitting the signal were minuscule. "The ‘Wow! Signal’ originated from the sky coordinates of Right Ascension (RA)=19h25m=291 degrees and Declination (Dec)=-27 degrees," he wrote. The signal believed to have come from an extraterrestrial object at the time was recorded on August 15, 1977. At this time, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS was at a distance of "about 600 times the Earth-Sun separation (AU)." When was Wow! Signal detected? He deduced that the "Wow! Signal was separated by approximately 4 degrees in RA and 8 degrees in Dec from the direction of 3I/ATLAS." Loeb added that the "chance of two random directions in the sky being aligned to that level is about 0.6 per cent," which means it is possible that 3I/Atlas emitted the Wow Signal. If this is the case, then it raises another question: "How powerful was the transmitter?" The Wow! Signal was detected by SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) astronomer Jerry R. Ehman. He was using the Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope when a sudden signal stumped him. It was such a strange occurrence that he simply wrote the words "Wow" on a piece of paper, which was later used to name the strange signal. Also Read: Astronomers may have solved the mystery of WOW! signal nearly 50 years later Also Read: Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas could soon lose its tail following a beating by our Sun The Wow! Signal remains unexplained to date. Scientists have been racking their brains for answers for decades, but the signal remains an anomaly. A few weeks ago, a study claimed that the Wow! Signal was much stronger than previously thought, and it seems to have originated from somewhere in the Milky Way. The intensity of the “Wow! Signal” is reported to be in the range of 54–212 Jansky with a bandwidth of about 10 kilohertz, which Loeb says "corresponds to a source power of 0.5–2 gigawatts, the output of a typical nuclear reactor on Earth." Also Read: 44 minutes apart, 2 minutes every time: Something from deep space is sending signals to Earth Loeb further deduced that the direction of both the Wow! Signal and 3I/Atlas are pretty much the same, and hopes that the "coincidence in the arrival direction of 3I/ATLAS and the Wow! Signal" will prompt research into whether 3I/ATLAS shows any radio transmission. Where is 3I/Atlas? Speed of 3I/Atlas 3I/Atlas is pacing at a speed of 221,000 km/hr, or 60,000 km/s. The alien comet will come near Mars in the next few days, and on October 3, the CaSSIS camera onboard ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) will be ready to take pictures of this alien comet.

Was the Wow! Signal emitted by interstellar comet 3I/Atlas? A scientist says the comet is travelling from the same place in space from where the Wow! Signal originated. He says the chance of this happening is extremely tiny.

Scientist estimates interstellar object 3I/Atlas beamed the Wow! Signal 48 years ago - 'How powerful was...'

Israeli-American physicist Avi Loeb says that if humans encounter technologically superior aliens and manage to befriend them, we can live as a species in the cosmos longer than the stars in the universe. Loeb is known for his strong views on extraterrestrial life. He believes that there is life outside the solar system. In a big push forward, Loeb started the Galileo Project, whose main principle is that "humans can no longer ignore the possible existence of Extraterrestrial Technological Civilisations (ETCs), and that science should not dogmatically reject potential extraterrestrial explanations because of social stigma or cultural preferences." Loeb recently wrote in his blog post that finding alien life can help humans outlive the stars, whose maximum lifespan is a few trillion years. The Harvard professor believes the cosmos holds several experiences that humans have yet to have on Earth. This is one way humans can benefit from befriending an alien civilisation. Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/latest-update-on-3i-atlas-interstellar-comet-is-getting-brighter-1758273179867">Latest update on 3I/ATLAS: Interstellar comet is getting brighter</a>Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/is-3i-atlas-not-alone-scientist-says-invisible-probe-may-be-racing-ahead-and-could-strike-mars-1756785567924">Is 3I/ATLAS not alone? Scientist says an invisible ‘probe’ racing ahead of it could strike Mars</a><h2>Why should humans search for aliens?</h2>"Finding extraterrestrial siblings would inspire us to reach out beyond the limited experiences we have had so far on our home planet. There are richer opportunities in our cosmic street than available at home," Loeb wrote. He added that an advanced alien race might have even managed to create their own artificial star, and it could help them survive the "cosmic winter", a time in space when all the stars will fizzle out. He said that humans could "join a camping site of intelligent beings around an artificial source of heat", which would "allow humanity to survive the future cosmic winter for potentially more than ten trillion years, the longest lifespan of stars." Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/wake-up-call-for-humanity-scientist-wants-3i-atlas-to-be-alien-spaceship-here-s-why-1756095787834">'Wake-up call for humanity’: Scientist wants 3I/ATLAS to be alien spaceship — Here’s why</a><h2>Could interstellar comet 3I/Atlas be alien craft?</h2>Loeb is hopeful of the existence of alien life that has outpaced humans in the field of technology, so much so that they can even undertake interstellar trips. In this context, Loeb has also claimed that 3I/Atlas, the interstellar object racing towards the inner solar system, could be a spaceship sent by an advanced alien civilisation to examine Earth and other planets. He points out several anomalies in 3I/Atlas, which hint that it is not a natural cosmic object. Its trajectory, the light it generates, the speed at which it is travelling, the unexpected brightness and the absence of a cometary tail in earlier pictures, presented a different picture. All of the traits exhibited by 3I/Atlas in these areas went against those of a regular comet. Loeb even thinks that this "mothership" could be coming to seed the planets with probes.&nbsp;Meanwhile, scientists are planning on taking a better look at 3I/Atlas when it comes near Mars on October 3. The CaSSIS camera on ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) will be used to study the interstellar object. The HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and China's Tianwen-1 mission to Mars can also capture images of 3I/Atlas.&nbsp;<h2>When will alien comet 3I/Atlas come near Earth&nbsp;</h2>Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS won't come near Earth and will remain at a distance of 269 million km from our planet. Its closest approach to Earth will happen on December 19, 2025. The object travelling at a staggering speed of 60,000 km/second will do a flyby of Mars on October 3 and reach perihelion, that is, come closest to the Sun, on 29 October 2025. It is expected to fly away and out of the solar system without ever returning.&nbsp;

A scientist says contacting aliens could prove to be a boon for humans, as encountering an intelligent and advanced civilisation might help us live for trillions of years, longer than even the stars in the universe. 

Israeli-American physicist Avi Loeb says that if humans encounter technologically superior aliens and manage to befriend them, we can live as a species in the cosmos longer than the stars in the universe. Loeb is known for his strong views on extraterrestrial life. He believes that there is life outside the solar system. In a big push forward, Loeb started the Galileo Project, whose main principle is that "humans can no longer ignore the possible existence of Extraterrestrial Technological Civilisations (ETCs), and that science should not dogmatically reject potential extraterrestrial explanations because of social stigma or cultural preferences." Loeb recently wrote in his blog post that finding alien life can help humans outlive the stars, whose maximum lifespan is a few trillion years. The Harvard professor believes the cosmos holds several experiences that humans have yet to have on Earth. This is one way humans can benefit from befriending an alien civilisation. Also Read: Latest update on 3I/ATLAS: Interstellar comet is getting brighter Also Read: Is 3I/ATLAS not alone? Scientist says an invisible ‘probe’ racing ahead of it could strike Mars Why should humans search for aliens? "Finding extraterrestrial siblings would inspire us to reach out beyond the limited experiences we have had so far on our home planet. There are richer opportunities in our cosmic street than available at home," Loeb wrote. He added that an advanced alien race might have even managed to create their own artificial star, and it could help them survive the "cosmic winter", a time in space when all the stars will fizzle out. He said that humans could "join a camping site of intelligent beings around an artificial source of heat", which would "allow humanity to survive the future cosmic winter for potentially more than ten trillion years, the longest lifespan of stars." Also Read: 'Wake-up call for humanity’: Scientist wants 3I/ATLAS to be alien spaceship — Here’s why Could interstellar comet 3I/Atlas be alien craft? Loeb is hopeful of the existence of alien life that has outpaced humans in the field of technology, so much so that they can even undertake interstellar trips. In this context, Loeb has also claimed that 3I/Atlas, the interstellar object racing towards the inner solar system, could be a spaceship sent by an advanced alien civilisation to examine Earth and other planets. He points out several anomalies in 3I/Atlas, which hint that it is not a natural cosmic object. Its trajectory, the light it generates, the speed at which it is travelling, the unexpected brightness and the absence of a cometary tail in earlier pictures, presented a different picture. All of the traits exhibited by 3I/Atlas in these areas went against those of a regular comet. Loeb even thinks that this "mothership" could be coming to seed the planets with probes. Meanwhile, scientists are planning on taking a better look at 3I/Atlas when it comes near Mars on October 3. The CaSSIS camera on ESA’s Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and the Mars Express’s High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) will be used to study the interstellar object. The HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and China's Tianwen-1 mission to Mars can also capture images of 3I/Atlas. When will alien comet 3I/Atlas come near Earth Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS won't come near Earth and will remain at a distance of 269 million km from our planet. Its closest approach to Earth will happen on December 19, 2025. The object travelling at a staggering speed of 60,000 km/second will do a flyby of Mars on October 3 and reach perihelion, that is, come closest to the Sun, on 29 October 2025. It is expected to fly away and out of the solar system without ever returning.

A scientist says contacting aliens could prove to be a boon for humans, as encountering an intelligent and advanced civilisation might help us live for trillions of years, longer than even the stars in the universe.&nbsp;

Humans can survive cosmic winter by befriending super intelligent aliens, scientist says

'Oumuamua is most likely a piece of a body that resembles Pluto, and was flung out of the solar system when it was a chaotic place right after being born. The first interstellar visitor was observed in 2017, changing the dynamics and understanding of cosmic space.

Is 'Oumuamua a piece of ancient solar system? Scientists think it came from 'exo-Pluto'

Everything we know about Interstellar object 3I/Atlas: Where is the interstellar comet coming from? Could it really be an alien spaceship? Will it hit Earth? Is 3I/Atlas really a comet, or could it be an entirely new piece of space rock?

All you should know about interstellar object 3I/Atlas: Size, origin, arrival, and why has it turned green

A team of astronomers from China have figured out the origin point of interstellar object 3I/Atlas. Earlier observations had shown that this mysterious object is travelling from the thick disk of the Milky Way. However, Yiyang Guo and his team from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University have deduced that it might have actually come from the thin disk of our galaxy. The thin disk is a region full of new stars and dust that sits inside a puffy region that is known as the thick disk. The latter has residents that are quite old and also has a different composition than the thin disk. Around 10 per cent of the galaxy’s stars can be found in the thick disk. Guo analysed the current orbit of 3I/ATLAS and the orbits of nearby stars to learn where this interstellar object could have come from. Their research changes the earlier view that it originated from among the ancient stars in the Milky Way.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/interstellar-object-3i-atlas-grows-visible-tail-in-live-gemini-images-1757049928075">Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS grows visible tail in live Gemini images. So, it's a comet?</a>&nbsp; Guo and his team posted their findings to the preprint server arXiv. They suspected that any of the stars could have flung 3I/Atlast into interstellar space. They looked at the past orbits of the object and of 30 million stars to confirm if this was a possibility, since this is a common way interstellar objects are formed. It is like a slingshot, where if an asteroid or comet comes near a planet, the gravitational force throws it out of the star system. The researchers were looking for one such star that came close to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/all-the-ways-humans-can-intercept-3i-atlas-before-it-slips-away-alien-spaceship-or-comet-1756878424334">3I/Atlas</a>, and likely shoved it out into interstellar space. Simulations revealed that 25 stars passed within 1 parsec (3.26 light-years) of<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/interstellar-object-3i-atlas-grows-visible-tail-in-live-gemini-images-1757049928075"> 3I/ATLAS</a>. But the problem was that even though these stars were close enough to slingshot it, the relative speeds were too high, and so none of them could be called a culprit.&nbsp;<h2>3I/Atlas and the several anomalies</h2>So the researchers shifted their focus to the stars in the thin disk, matching its current motion to the velocity distribution of stars in the thin disk. Since most of the stars reside in the thin disk, the researchers zeroed in on the possibility that 3I/Atlas likely originated in this region of the Milky Way. This is one aspect of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/loeb-says-mars-reconnaissance-orbiter-hirise-could-spy-on-3i-atlas-to-reveal-if-it-is-an-alien-probe-or-just-a-comet-1756814643185">interstellar visitor</a> among a myriad of things that have baffled scientists. For one, its trajectory aligns perfectly with the planets in the solar system, leading some scientists, like Avi Loeb, to claim that it has been deliberately sent by an alien civilisation to seed probes. &nbsp;The coma of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/listed-all-the-clues-that-point-to-3i-atlas-being-an-alien-tech-not-a-comet-1756794218372">3I/Atlas</a> is exhibiting strange occurrences, as it contains one of the highest ratios of carbon dioxide to water ever observed in any comet. The object has been deduced to be a comet, although no tail was visible for a very long time. But, in late August, the Gemini telescope in Chile saw that it was becoming more active as it hurtles towards the inner solar system, and has developed a tail.

Origin of interstellar object 3I/Atlas: Scientists have proposed an alternate theory about the origin of the interstellar visitor racing towards the inner solar system. It has come from the Milky Way, but from where exactly?

A team of astronomers from China have figured out the origin point of interstellar object 3I/Atlas. Earlier observations had shown that this mysterious object is travelling from the thick disk of the Milky Way. However, Yiyang Guo and his team from the Shanghai Jiao Tong University have deduced that it might have actually come from the thin disk of our galaxy. The thin disk is a region full of new stars and dust that sits inside a puffy region that is known as the thick disk. The latter has residents that are quite old and also has a different composition than the thin disk. Around 10 per cent of the galaxy’s stars can be found in the thick disk. Guo analysed the current orbit of 3I/ATLAS and the orbits of nearby stars to learn where this interstellar object could have come from. Their research changes the earlier view that it originated from among the ancient stars in the Milky Way. Also Read: Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS grows visible tail in live Gemini images. So, it's a comet? Guo and his team posted their findings to the preprint server arXiv. They suspected that any of the stars could have flung 3I/Atlast into interstellar space. They looked at the past orbits of the object and of 30 million stars to confirm if this was a possibility, since this is a common way interstellar objects are formed. It is like a slingshot, where if an asteroid or comet comes near a planet, the gravitational force throws it out of the star system. The researchers were looking for one such star that came close to 3I/Atlas, and likely shoved it out into interstellar space. Simulations revealed that 25 stars passed within 1 parsec (3.26 light-years) of 3I/ATLAS. But the problem was that even though these stars were close enough to slingshot it, the relative speeds were too high, and so none of them could be called a culprit. 3I/Atlas and the several anomalies So the researchers shifted their focus to the stars in the thin disk, matching its current motion to the velocity distribution of stars in the thin disk. Since most of the stars reside in the thin disk, the researchers zeroed in on the possibility that 3I/Atlas likely originated in this region of the Milky Way. This is one aspect of the interstellar visitor among a myriad of things that have baffled scientists. For one, its trajectory aligns perfectly with the planets in the solar system, leading some scientists, like Avi Loeb, to claim that it has been deliberately sent by an alien civilisation to seed probes. The coma of 3I/Atlas is exhibiting strange occurrences, as it contains one of the highest ratios of carbon dioxide to water ever observed in any comet. The object has been deduced to be a comet, although no tail was visible for a very long time. But, in late August, the Gemini telescope in Chile saw that it was becoming more active as it hurtles towards the inner solar system, and has developed a tail.

Origin of interstellar object 3I/Atlas: Scientists have proposed an alternate theory about the origin of the interstellar visitor racing towards the inner solar system. It has come from the Milky Way, but from where exactly?

Origin of 3I/ATLAS: Scientists claim the interstellar visitor is travelling from THIS point in space

A telescope in Chile has likely captured evidence that 3I/ATLAS is a comet. The discovery made by the Gemini South at Cerro Pachón can put to rest all questions about the interstellar visitor, which has been a hot topic of debate among scientists since it was first seen.

Has a telescope in Chile captured evidence that 3I/ATLAS is a comet?