1. Introduction — The Mystery of 3I/ATLAS
3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object observed pᴀssing through our solar system.
Discovered in 2025 by the ATLAS survey, it follows a hyperbolic trajectory, meaning it came from another star system and will leave ours.
Immediately, the internet exploded with speculation: Is it a comet… or alien technology?
2. What We Know About Its Nature
Size & Shape: Observations suggest it’s several hundred meters across — larger than most near-Earth asteroids but small enough to fly by unnoticed.
Comet-Like Behavior:
Displays a coma (a fuzzy cloud of gas/dust).
Produces a tail from sublimating ices as it heats near the Sun.
These are standard features of comets.
Brightness Fluctuations: Some have speculated unusual light patterns may indicate a non-natural origin, but natural explanations like rotation, shape, and outgᴀssing fit the data.