Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, since its discovery in July, has become a center of attention in the scientific community because of its unknown nature. The recently released pictures of 3I/ATLAS by NASA have raised news questions about its origin.
The images were captured by different spacecraft, including the James Webb Space Telescope, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Perseverance Mars rover and the Lucy asteroid-studying probe.
As per findings, NASA officials have confirmed that interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is “actually a comet in nature”, defying the prevalent view that it is an “alien spaceship” or “Trojan Horse.”
According to NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, “It looks and behaves like a comet, and all evidence points to it being a comet. But this one came from outside the solar system, which makes it fascinating, exciting and scientifically very important.”
Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, during a press briefing denied the possibility of 3I/ATLAS being an “alien probe.”
According to Fox, the NASA research team has not witnessed any technosignatures or anything from the interstellar comet that would lead us to believe that it is not a natural comet.
In the pictures shared, one can see the comet 3I/ATLAS looking like a fuzzy ball, made up of a cloud of ice and dust called a coma. This cloud is shed by the comet it hurtled towards the sun.
In response to these images, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has slammed NASA for not coming up with a new explanation about 3I/ATLAS origin, other than this being a natural comet.
According to Loeb, NASA should put its focus on what is not understood about 3I/ATLAS and assess new interpretations.
As per professor’s observations, the spacecraft could also be coated with an outer layer of dust mixed with ice, showing signs of sublimation when it reached closer to the sun, thereby imitating cometary activity.
NASA officials have also failed to understand the anomalies shown by the interstellar objects.
