Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Comet 3I/ATLAS.
Although the jury is still out on whether Comet 3I/ATLAS – which is ‘Manhattan-sized’ and hurtling through our solar system right now – is actually a comet at all.
It is exhibiting ‘strange behaviors’ that could point to potential alien activity.
It was first identified on July 1 and has since been noted to display a host of unusual characteristics that seem to defy normal comet behavior.
For starters, it’s not even from our solar system, with researchers hypothesising it was once part of another planetary system and was ejected after a gravitational disturbance, travelling through deep space for millions of years before reaching us.
This is different to most comets, which are usually remnants from the creation of our own solar system, orbiting the sun in predictable paths.
Comet 3I/ATLAS has also been observed to have an anti-tail, which is a rare phenomenon that shows a jet of particles pointing towards the sun instead of away from it.
And it reportedly emitted a plume that contained four grams of nickel per second, with no evidence of iron, which is not typical.
As a result of these anomalies, a NASA-coordinated group – called the International Asteroid Warning Network, which is a “world-wide planetary defense collaboration” that collectively works to “detect, monitor, and characterize potentially hazardous asteroids” – added Comet 3I/ATLAS to its list of space activity to watch.
Their statement read: “While it poses no threat, Comet 3I/ATLAS presents a great opportunity for the IAWN community to perform an observing exercise due to its prolonged observability from Earth and high interest to the scientific community.”
This means that, from November 27 to January 27, they will be conducting a “comet campaign” to refine methods for pinpointing the space object’s exact location.
Only those who attend a workshop on “techniques to correctly measure comet astrometry” can participate in the campaign, which will essentially help stargazers get a better view of Comet 3I/ATLAS.
Astrophysicist Avi Loeb believes alien activity can’t be ruled out, stating in a blog post: ‘If 3I/ATLAS is a massive mothership, it will likely continue along its original gravitational path and ultimately exit the Solar system.’
Comet 3I/ATLAS is currently hurtling towards the sun for its closest approach to Earth on October 30, meaning it will be visible in small telescopes.