3I/ATLAS Makes Its First Clear Appearance, Confirmed as an Ancient Interstellar Comet | WPN World People News

At a scientific briefing held in Greenbelt, Maryland, on November 19 (ET), NASA unveiled several new datasets revealing the latest observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. This fast-moving object, passing through the solar system, is essentially an extremely ancient comet—possibly formed even earlier than the solar system itself—formally disproving earlier speculation that it might be an “alien probe.”

3I/ATLAS was first detected in July this year by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in Chile. Subsequent orbital analysis indicated that it originated from an unknown region outside the solar system. NASA emphasized that the comet is maintaining a safe distance from Earth, with its closest approach being about 270 million kilometers. It passed perihelion last month and is now gradually moving away from the inner solar system.

The newly released images and spectra come from joint observations conducted by multiple NASA missions, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), MAVEN, the asteroid missions Psyche and Lucy, as well as the solar observation missions STEREO and SOHO. These datasets span ultraviolet, infrared, visible light, and gamma-ray wavelengths, allowing scientists to comprehensively analyze the comet’s composition and behavior.

According to current findings, the chemical characteristics of 3I/ATLAS resemble those of typical solar-system comets but still exhibit several unusual traits: a higher-than-normal nickel content, a significant proportion of carbon dioxide, and a scarcity of carbon-chain molecules. These features suggest that the comet was exposed to cosmic rays in interstellar space for an extended period, giving it a dark-reddish appearance coated with fine dust. Oxford astrophysicist Chris Lintott estimates that the comet may be over 8 billion years old, predating the solar system—a rare opportunity for close-up study.

Addressing outside speculation that the comet might be extraterrestrial technology, most astronomers have dismissed the claim. Radio telescope arrays in the United States and South Africa (MeerKAT) recently detected the characteristic OH– radio absorption expected of natural comets, showing no signs of artificial structures. Chi-Cheng Chang, a comet researcher at Lowell Observatory in Arizona, noted that all of its behaviors align with what would be expected from a natural comet, with no evidence of human-made features.

NASA stated that it will continue tracking the comet’s trajectory as it exits the solar system using spacecraft and observatories. Scientists emphasized that although 3I/ATLAS is not an alien spacecraft, its unique interstellar journey and unusual chemical makeup will open valuable new avenues for understanding the material origins of other planetary systems.