Key Takeaways
- 3I/ATLAS brightened fivefold after passing the Sun on October 29, 2025.
- It’s showing non-gravitational acceleration, suggesting propulsion beyond normal comet behavior.
- The object turned bright blue, possibly from CO⁺ gases or artificial heat.
- James Webb Space Telescope will examine it in December 2025 to confirm if it’s natural or something else.
Harvard’s Avi Loeb Reports Strange Behavior in 3I/ATLAS
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has released new findings on 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object to pass through our Solar System — and possibly the most mysterious yet. After swinging past the Sun on October 29, 2025, 3I/ATLAS began behaving in ways that standard comet physics can’t explain.
According to NASA and the Minor Planet Center, the object became five times brighter within a few days, and its motion now shows a clear non-gravitational acceleration. At a distance of 206 million kilometers from the Sun, 3I/ATLAS appears to be pushed by something other than gravity.
Loeb and his team detected two types of motion — one pushing it directly away from the Sun and another moving sideways. Surprisingly, there’s no vertical motion, which is rare for natural space debris.
Losing Mass — Without Any Visible Jets
If 3I/ATLAS were a comet, this acceleration would mean it’s losing mass through jets of gas or dust. Loeb estimates that around 13% of its total mass must have evaporated to account for the movement.
But that’s where the puzzle deepens: such mass loss should create large, visible jets — and none have been detected. No tails, no major gas emissions, nothing that could explain the energy required for the acceleration.
This discrepancy has led Loeb to suggest an alternative — a “rocket-like mechanism” that could be ejecting material at very high velocity, mimicking propulsion. Whether this is a natural but unknown process or something artificially engineered remains an open question.
A Comet That Turned Blue — and Possibly Metallic
As 3I/ATLAS neared the Sun, astronomers noted that it turned an unusually bright blue, something rarely seen in comets. This could mean the release of ionized CO⁺ gas, which emits a blue glow — or perhaps, Loeb notes, heat radiation from an unknown energy source.
Spectral data also revealed nickel-rich gas — material more consistent with industrial metal than typical comet dust. Combined with a low water content (only 4%, compared to the water-heavy composition of most comets), it adds another layer to the enigma.
Ten Clues That Make 3I/ATLAS Unlike Anything Seen Before
Loeb compiled a list of ten anomalies that make 3I/ATLAS one of the strangest objects ever observed:
- Orbital alignment: perfectly matching the plane of the planets (0.2% chance).
- Sun-facing jet: unlike any known comet behavior.
- Extreme mass: 1 million times heavier than ‘Oumuamua, yet even faster.
- Perfect timing: narrowly missing Mars, Venus, and Jupiter while staying hidden from Earth — 0.005% chance.
- Nickel-rich gas: resembling industrial metal, not natural dust.
- Low water content: just 4%, compared to 50%+ in typical comets.
- Negative polarization: never recorded before.
- Origin direction: nearly identical (9° apart) to the mysterious 1977 “Wow!” radio signal.
- Record brightening: faster and bluer than any comet ever tracked.
- Unexplained acceleration: losing mass with no observable gas cloud.
Each of these findings, on its own, might be explainable — but together, they paint a picture of something truly extraordinary.
What Comes Next: The James Webb Test
The next crucial step will come in December 2025, when the James Webb Space Telescope turns its instruments toward 3I/ATLAS. If the object behaves like a normal comet, it should by then be surrounded by a massive gas cloud made up of the material it’s supposedly losing.
If that gas cloud doesn’t appear, however, scientists will have to consider new possibilities — from exotic natural phenomena to the idea that 3I/ATLAS could be an artificial interstellar probe.
Conclusion: A Messenger from Beyond?
Since the first interstellar visitor, ‘Oumuamua, in 2017, scientists have debated whether some of these fast-moving objects could be artificial. With 3I/ATLAS, that debate has reignited.
Whether it’s a comet defying expectations or something engineered, Avi Loeb’s findings challenge our understanding of what travels between the stars. As observations continue in the months ahead, 3I/ATLAS may prove to be just a cosmic oddity — or the first real messenger from deep space.
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