A mysterious interstellar object speeding through our solar system has recently made headlines, as it seems to defy all expectations.
Known as 3I/ATLAS, this space visitor has unexpectedly picked up speed as it moves away from the Sun, raising questions about its true nature and the forces at play.
NASA has confirmed a surprising acceleration in the object’s trajectory, a phenomenon that cannot be explained by the Sun’s gravity alone.
This strange shift off its predicted path has intrigued scientists worldwide, especially because it defies the typical laws of motion that govern the Solar System.
A Speedy Journey: From 130,000 MPH to 152,000 MPH
3I/ATLAS was already traveling faster than any other space rock ever recorded.
When it first entered our solar system, it was moving at over 130,000 mph, per the Daily Mail.
After reaching its closest approach to the Sun on October 29, known as perihelion, its speed shot up to an astounding 152,000 mph.
NASA believes that the Sun’s gravitational pull primarily accounts for this speed boost. However, the object’s unexpected shift away from the Sun has left scientists searching for alternative explanations.
NASA shared a diagram showing the trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system. Credit: NASA
Is It a Comet?
For a typical comet, the Sun’s intense heat would cause the icy rock to melt, releasing jets of gas from within.
These jets would propel the object, altering its path as it moves through space. However, 3I/ATLAS has not shown clear evidence of this common behavior.
Harvard physicist Avi Loeb pointed out that astronomers have not observed sufficient gas emissions to support the idea that 3I/ATLAS is a traditional comet.
As 3I/ATLAS draws closer to Earth, expected to reach its closest point in just six weeks, Loeb made an intriguing statement.
If the object does not exhibit a noticeable gas cloud, it could signal something much stranger at play. Loeb suggested that the mysterious speed boost might not be due to natural processes at all - perhaps it’s being powered by something far more advanced.
The comet has some people worried. Credit: NASA
The Mystery Deepens: Could It Be an Extraterrestrial Craft?
NASA’s latest data revealed that after 3I/ATLAS reached perihelion, the additional acceleration weakened but was still evident. Importantly, this movement appears to be unrelated to the Sun’s gravity.
To explain the strange maneuver, scientists believe that for the object to have exhibited such a change, it would have had to lose at least 13 percent of its mass as it passed close to the Sun.
But this isn’t your typical space rock. If 3I/ATLAS had shed such a significant amount of mass, we would expect to see a large cloud of dust and gas surrounding it.
Yet, no such cloud has been detected. In December, the James Webb Space Telescope will attempt to find any remnants of this potential gas cloud, but so far, the evidence is lacking.
Loeb has been vocal about his suspicions. “If 3I/ATLAS is not enshrouded in a much more massive gas cloud after perihelion than it had in the months preceding perihelion, then its recent non-gravitational acceleration must have resulted from a different cause than cometary evaporation,” he explained.