Mysterious Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shows No Tail
Scientists around the world are carefully observing 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar body that has drawn attention for its strange behavior after moving past its closest point to the sun on October 29. The comet came within about 203 million kilometers of the solar surface, according to Harvard theoretical physicist Dr. Avi Loeb.
Unlike other comets, 3I/ATLAS appears to lack a visible tail despite its proximity to the sun. Recent data show a glowing spot of light instead of a trailing stream, puzzling researchers about its composition and formation.
“It exhibited what Loeb calls non-gravitational acceleration and became bluer than the sun, which is highly unusual for a comet,”
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of 3I/ATLAS on July 21, 2025, when it was approximately 277 million miles from Earth. The image, processed by Joseph DePasquale at the Space Telescope Science Institute, offers one of the clearest views yet of this enigmatic interstellar traveler.
“Some scientists even wonder if it might not be a natural object,” says Dr. Ken Gayley, professor of astronomy at the University of Iowa, who recently spoke with LiveNOW’s Austin Westfall about emerging theories suggesting that 3I/ATLAS could be artificial—or perhaps a probe from another civilization.
For now, the true nature of 3I/ATLAS remains unresolved. Researchers emphasize that more observations will be needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.
Author’s Summary
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS intrigues scientists with its tailless form and blue hue, prompting debates about whether it's a natural phenomenon or an artificial object.