The interstellar object traveling through our solar system has just made its most surprising move yet, appearing to move backwards as it lost track of our Sun.
This is the latest in a long list of strange indications that some scientists claim show that the object, called 3I/ATLAS, is not just an ordinary comet from a distant solar system.
Harvard physicist Avi Loeb has been one of the leading voices maintaining that there is enough evidence to say that 3I/ATLAS has shown signs that it may be guided by an unknown intelligence.
Another indicator may emerge on October 29, when the object is expected to reach its closest point to the Sun.
Loeb told the Daily Mail that if 3I/ATLAS emerges from this blind spot in a completely different place than where gravity took it, that would be a clear sign that the object is artificial and perhaps powered by some kind of engine.
Most astronomers are wary of considering an extraterrestrial origin, noting that the space rock showed the classic signs of a comet, including a tail and coma, a large cloud of gas and dust surrounding it.
Previous studies over the summer have concluded that 3I/ATLAS's strange chemical composition, rich in carbon dioxide, is only the result of its formation in a solar system completely foreign to our own.
However, Loeb argues that those who have dismissed the most extraordinary possibilities are more concerned about their own reputations than about warning the public about a potentially world-changing event.
"We're talking about something that could affect humanity in the future dramatically, and the same conservative approach as usual shouldn't be used," Loeb explained.
What makes 3I/ATLAS so special?
In August, an unusual nickel plume was discovered from the object. Unlike natural comets that always release nickel along with iron, 3I/ATLAS released only nickel, with no trace of iron.
The new study by astrophysicists in Chile found that the object releases about 5 grams of nickel and 20 grams of cyanide per second, with a significant increase as it approaches the Sun.
The mechanisms that drive these releases are not typical of natural cometary processes.
Size and composition
Initially, scientists thought 3I/ATLAS was more than 20 km in diameter, but NASA's most powerful telescopes have reduced this estimate to about 2.7 km.
This is because more than 99% of the observed light came from the coma, a large cloud of dust and gas around the object.
The object is currently about 480 million kilometers from Earth.
NASA's SPHEREx telescope has discovered that 3I/ATLAS emits large amounts of CO₂ and is covered in water ice.
Additionally, the Perseverance rover on Mars has sent back photos showing a large cylindrical shape, but Loeb suggests this could be an optical illusion from the rover's camera that collected hundreds of images in 10 minutes.
According to Loeb, the object is smaller and rounder, but still massive, with a potential diameter of over 45 km.
Scientific debate
More than five studies have concluded that the object is simply a natural and unique comet.
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at Harvard, said:
"It is clearly a natural comet; suggestions to the contrary are laughed at by comet experts."
David Jewitt of UCLA agrees, explaining the changes in the object's tail as normal behavior of the comet as it passes behind the Sun.
3I/ATLAS was first observed on July 1 and is only the third recorded interstellar object to pass through our solar system, after Oumuamua (2017) and Comet Borisov (2019).
Loeb has calculated that 3I/ATLAS is about 5 km long and 33 billion tons heavy, much more massive than previous objects.
Its size is a possible indication that the object may not be a comet, as there is not enough rocky material in space to create something so large naturally.
Anomalies that arouse curiosity
The object's extraordinary light when it was far from Earth
Inverted “anti-tail”
Strange course near three planets
Unique chemical composition with nickel and carbon dioxide
Loeb calculated that the chances of all these anomalies occurring simultaneously are 1 in 10 quadrillion.
Although it is not expected to collide with Earth, NASA has decided to include 3I/ATLAS on the list of threatened objects that are monitored for planetary protection.
The object will approach closest to Earth on December 19, and NASA plans to obtain more detailed data in March 2026 as the Juno spacecraft near Jupiter.
Loeb concludes:
"We must not miss this opportunity, because it is a gift from interstellar space. The arrival of 3I/ATLAS and the visit of 'Oumuamua just eight years ago cannot be random events in the cosmos."
"What nature is trying to tell us is that we don't understand something." /GazetaExpress/
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