Scientists warn that comet 3I/ATLAS has shrunk as it approaches Earth

Since it was reported in July, the comet interstellar 3I/ATLAS, for his strange features, keeps scientists in suspense.

Recently, several media reported that the object was bailedafter its closest passage to the Sun a few days ago.

Like the latest images of the ATLAS do not show the typical consequences that a reduction in the size of a comet implies, this led to the reinforcement of the theory that maintains that it is an object alien.

Meanwhile, scientists and fans are eagerly awaiting the phenomenon to pass near us. planetwhich will happen in a few weeks.

Shrinkage of comet 3I/ATLAS: normal behavior or extraterrestrial sign?

According to journalistic reports, the comet 3I/ATLAS with shrank suddenly a 13% after its close passage to the Sun in the last week of October.

The striking thing is that specialists still do not know with certainty the reason for the shrinkage. They would be disoriented because the loss of part of the object’s mass would have occurred without it forming a queuewhich is what usually happens when a phenomenon like this is reduced.

The shrinking of ATLAS would have happened without it forming a tail. Illustrative photo: Archive

The alleged behavior fueled the Harvard professor’s theory Avi Loebwho has long maintained that it could be not a comet but a extraterrestrial phenomenon

Loeb stated that the reduction is directly related to the sudden change in trajectory of the object as it approaches the Sun, but that it is unusual that it has not formed a tail.

«For a typical comet, this (the shrinkage) should have resulted in a huge tail of dust and gas… pointing away from the Sun,» he explained to the Daily Mailand added that «In the new images from November 5, 2025 no tail seen of this type.»

Additionally, Loeb noted that the ATLAS hasn’t changed much compared to the Hubble Space Telescope photograph taken in July, which he says adds to the mystery.

This scientist, who is also the director of the Galileo Project, whose purpose is to search for signs of extraterrestrial technology, believes that the phenomenon presents at least ten signs that it could be an artificial spacecraft.

Among them, it is found that, in its beginnings, the object had a «anti-cola«, that is, a tail that points towards the Sun instead of away from it, something unusual in normal comets.

It is also striking that there is changed color several times during its journey through the solar system, and even turned blue when close to the largest star, something previous comets did not do. Comets generally turn red when heated because they reflect red light, just as a piece of metal turns reddish when heated.

Comet 3I/ATLAS had a reddish color. Photo: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Loeb has gone so far as to claim that it could be an alien mothership disguised as a space rock. However, the NASA rejects this hypothesis and maintains that it is a natural comet.

Meanwhile, experts and hobbyists who follow the object are waiting for it to reach its peak. closest point to our planet, Well, it will be the moment when you will be able to study it better.

When will comet 3I/ATLAS approach Earth?

He 3I/ATLASfirst reported on July 1, 2025, is the third known interstellar object (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 waiting for the day when it reaches its closest point to Earth.

According to what was reported by NASA, this will happen when it is placed at a distance estimated at 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, it will not represent a threat to Earth, because the object will pass quite far from it.

Recently, 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.