A mysterious traveller from beyond our solar system -3I/ATLAS – has captured the world’s attention. Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope network in Hawaii, Chile, and South Africa, this comet is moving too fast to be bound by the Sun’s gravity. That means it came from another star system, making it only the third known interstellar object to pass through our cosmic neighborhood — after ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
What Makes 3I/ATLAS Special?
Scientists quickly noticed that 3I/ATLAS doesn’t behave like an ordinary comet. Its speed, shape, and reflective surface are unusual, and it seems to spin in a slightly unpredictable way. This has led some researchers, like Harvard professor Avi Loeb, to suggest that 3I/ATLAS might even be an artificial object — possibly created by an advanced civilization. While this idea is debated, it shows just how strange this comet truly is.
Natural or Artificial?
Most space experts agree that 3I/ATLAS is likely a natural comet made of ice, rock, and gas that formed billions of years ago in another solar system. But the possibility that it could be an engineered or artificial object — sent for exploration, observation, or communication — continues to intrigue scientists and the public alike. As of now, there is no proof that 3I/ATLAS is artificial, but its behavior raises questions that are hard to ignore.
Latest Observations
Recent telescope images show that 3I/ATLAS is becoming more active as it nears the Sun. Its tail and glowing green coma have grown larger, possibly because of cyanide and nickel gases being released as it warms up. The comet will reach its closest point to the Sun (1.4 AU — just inside Mars’ orbit) in late October 2025. Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) plan to observe it closely using orbiters near Mars and Jupiter.
Why 3I/ATLAS Matters
Studying 3I/ATLAS helps scientists understand how materials form in distant star systems and what interstellar objects are made of. It also improves our ability to track space objects that might one day come close to Earth. Whether it’s a natural relic of another world or something more mysterious, 3I/ATLAS reminds us that the universe still holds secrets waiting to be discovered.
Sources:
- www.livescience.com
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