Since it was sighted in July, the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS keeps the astronomical community in suspense.
For his strange featuressparked a deep discussion in which some scientists, including Harvard professor Abraham «Avi» Reads, They maintain that it is actually a artificial extraterrestrial object.
However, both the NASA as the European Space Agency denies this theory. Now the famous magazine The Sky at Night (The night sky) joined them and listed a series of issues that indicate that the ATLAS has another nature.
Meanwhile, we eagerly await the approach of the phenomenon to our planetat which time specialists will be able to study it in greater detail.
The foundations that refute the extraterrestrial theory of 31/ATLAS
On Tuesday, November 11, The Sky at Night (The night sky), the magazine specialized in astronomy of the BBCreleased an article that, based on scientific studies, denies the hypothesis that links ATLAS to aliens and reveals that this is nothing more than a natural comet.
The clearest image of comet 3I/ATLAS, captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo: ArchiveBelow is the evidence the publication uses to support its theory.
Clear Comma and Tail
Supported by existing 3I/ATLAS observations, including those from the renowned National Science Foundation (NSF), the note maintains that the interstellar object has a clear coma (envelope of gas and dust) and tail, telltale characteristics of a real comet.
He also clarifies that these are not cosmetic flashes or tricks of the light due to problems with observations, but rather they are physical manifestations of volatile materials – gases and water molecules – that evaporate under the increased heat of the Sun as the phenomenon moves deeper into the inner solar system.
Comets contain ices such as water, carbon dioxide and ammonia. As they approach the main star, they sublimate, that is, they go from a solid to a gaseous state, dragging dust with them and forming the bright coma and extensive tail.
According to the article, all you need to do is take a look at the tail of ATLAS to differentiate it from an asteroid, which would not have these icy characteristics.
The natural journey of a comet through space
According The Sky at Night, beyond its appearance, 3I/ATLAS It also behaves like a comet, since its trajectory shows no signs of non-gravitational forces.
There is no thrust or changes in course: just simple movement governed by the initial trajectory and gravity of the Sun.
3I/ATLAS moves like a typical comet. Photo: Archive (illustrative)If it were an artificial ship designed by an intelligence, the note says, the phenomenon would be seen clearly, without being hidden by a coma of dust and ice, and it would probably come much closer to the planets.
Instead, ATLAS simply moves through spacereflecting the sunlight as it passes, such as natural objects do.
Chemical fingerprints reveal its composition
Finally, the magazine BBC says that the chemistry of 3I/ATLAS is another of the arguments that demonstrate its comet nature.
Citing a study by Very Large Telescope (VLT), a system of four optical telescopes located in Chile, maintains that ATLAS detected comet-like molecules originated in our solar system.
He adds that the phenomenon’s chemical mix is slightly different from others of its kind, but that those variations likely reflect intriguing differences in the environment and chemical composition of its home star system compared to ours, and are not evidence of extraterrestrial engineering.
The 3I/ATLAS shows a classic cometary glow. Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)Throughout, The Sky at Night concludes that the 3I/ATLAS is clearly a natural comet and not an extraterrestrial object, which makes it an invaluable opportunity for science, since it offers the possibility of studying a phenomenon that comes from a system other than the solar system.
Thanks to their analysis, scientists could check whether our star system is typical or unique among the hundreds of billions of stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
When will comet 3I/ATLAS approach Earth?
He 3I/ATLASfirst reported on July 1, 2025, is the third object interstellar known (hence its name «3» «I»), after the discovery of 1I/Oumuamua, in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, in 2019.
However, this comet has a series of peculiarities, such as a very high speed and enormous size, which transform it into a different species from its predecessors. Therefore, the astronomical community is looking forward to the day when it reaches its closest point to Earth.
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What is happening with the 3I/ATLAS? NASA activated its planetary defense protocol against the comet
According to what was reported by the NASAthis will happen when placed at a distance estimated to be 1.8 astronomical units (approximately 270 million kilometers) in relation to our planet.
According to the organization, the event will occur in December 2025 and, despite alarming theories, will not pose a threat to the Earth, because the object will pass quite far from it.
A few days ago, the European Space Agency went further and set the exact date on which the comet will reach this point: the next December 19.
Although the phenomenon cannot be seen by the human eye, it will be the period in which specialized teams will be able to observe it clearly. Scientists hope that the approach of the object will allow us to clearly visualize the characteristics that make it different from other comets recorded in the past.
