Paper: Is the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Alien Technology?
- Thread starter Enki
- Start date
Because it's in the other side of the sun, that is why it "disappeared".
And 3I/Atlas just discharged the solar capacitor:
Лаборатория солнечной астрономии (XRAS)
Выброшенное облако плазмы через 2 суток ударит по объекту 3I/ATLAS Согласно оценкам, облако плазмы, выброшенное после сегодняшнего взрыва, направлено точно (в пределах 10-20 градусов) в направлении объекта 3I/ATLAS, который проходит сейчас с противоположной стороны от Солнца на расстоянии около...
t.me
This last sentence is the Russians mocking the disinfo campaign about 3I/Atlas being an alien spaceship.
axj
The Living Force
It's a deepfake AI-generated video. Even the channel description admits it:
The comments point out that the video talks about October 29th in the past tense, if you are wondering how accurate the claims in this deepfake video are.
3I Atlas was exactly on the other side of the Sun yesterday relative to Earth, so of course it cannot be seen from Earth. The SOHO solar observatory is located between Earth and the Sun, so it cannot see it either.
Only deep space missions to other parts of the solar system may have a vantage point to observe it right now, eg. the Mars orbiters, the two Sun orbiters inside the Mercury orbit and two probes on their way to Jupiter:
Observational Challenges During Solar Conjunction
Solar conjunction geometry prevents Earth-based optical observations from October 21 through early November 2025 when 3I/ATLAS lies within ~10° solar elongation, below typical coronagraph rejection angles and overwhelmed by scattered sunlight. Space-based assets positioned away from Earth-Sun line could theoretically observe during this window: ESA’s Solar Orbiter (0.3–0.9 AU heliocentric) and NASA’s Parker Solar Probe (perihelion 0.046 AU) offer alternative vantage points, though neither mission publicly announced 3I/ATLAS observation plans. Post-perihelion emergence in November morning twilight sky permits resumed ground-based monitoring for outburst activity, fragmentation, or secondary objects ejected during perihelion passage.
Link to JUICE and Juno Spacecraft Observations
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) passes within 64 million km of 3I/ATLAS on November 4, 2025, providing the first post-perihelion data from instruments including JANUS visible imager, MAJIS infrared spectrometer, and SWI submillimeter wave instrument capable of detecting coma gas composition and surface properties. NASA’s Juno orbiter approaches within 54 million km on March 16, 2026, enabling UV spectrograph (UVS), infrared auroral mapper (JIRAM), and microwave radiometer (MWR) observations characterizing outgassing patterns, thermal emission, and potential radio signatures.
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Reaches Perihelion Oct 29 With Eight Documented Anomalies | NASA Space News
Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS reaches solar conjunction Oct 21 and perihelion Oct 29, 2025, presenting optimal Oberth maneuver window while hidden from Earth observers. Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will undergo solar conjunction on October 21, 2025, positioning it directly behind the Sun as viewed...nasaspacenews.com
EmeraldR
The Living Force
Session 23 August 2025 :
(...)
(Joe) No. This object 3I/Atlas, what is it?
A: Wait and see! Hale-Bopp anyone?
-------------
Yes, there was a significant media frenzy around Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997.
(...)
(Joe) No. This object 3I/Atlas, what is it?
A: Wait and see! Hale-Bopp anyone?
-------------
Yes, there was a significant media frenzy around Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997.
- It became known as the "Great Comet of 1997" and was likely the most-observed comet in history, visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months.
- Its brightness and long visibility sparked widespread public interest, far surpassing that of Halley’s Comet in 1986.
- The internet, then rapidly growing, played a major role—NASA’s Hale-Bopp webpage received over 1.2 million hits per day, causing notable web traffic spikes.
- Media coverage was extensive, with UFO sightings and conspiracy theories surging, including claims of a hidden alien spacecraft.
- The frenzy culminated tragically in March 1997, when 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult committed mass suicide, believing a spacecraft was following the comet.
Comparison: 3I/ATLAS vs. Comet Hale-Bopp
Key Differences
| Feature | 3I/ATLAS | Comet Hale-Bopp |
| Origin | Interstellar (hyperbolic trajectory) | Solar System (Oort Cloud) |
| Size | ≥5 km diameter | ~40–60 km diameter |
| Water Outgassing | ~40 kg/s at 1.36 AU | ~400 tons/s at similar distance |
| Chemical Composition | 87% CO₂, 4% water, nickel without iron | Water-dominated, rich in HCN, CO, CH₃OH |
| Polarization | Extreme negative polarization (Pmin = −2.77%) — unique among comets | Unusually high positive polarization — an outlier among Solar System comets |
| Dust Tail | No visible dust tail, structured sunward jet | Prominent dust and ion tails |
| Discovery | July 1, 2025 (ATLAS survey) | March 7, 1973 (Luboš Kohoutek) |
| Perihelion | Oct 29, 2025 (~1.36 AU) | Dec 28, 1973 (~0.14 AU) |
Scientific Significance
- 3I/ATLAS is the first interstellar comet showing extreme negative polarization, placing it outside known comet categories. Its nickel-rich, iron-poor emission and CO₂-dominated outgassing suggest exotic formation chemistry.
- Hale-Bopp was exceptionally bright and active, with complex organic molecules and a long observational arc, but fits within known Solar System comet models.
- Despite being smaller, 3I/ATLAS’s interstellar origin and anomalous properties make it a unique object of study, while Hale-Bopp remains one of the most observed and chemically rich native comets.
axj
The Living Force
Hale-Bopp was discovered in 1995 and reached perihelion in 1997, not 1973. Another example of why it is not a good idea to rely on AI-generated answers without doublechecking.
Perhaps the AI was trying to tell us something?
Comet Kohoutek was discovered at Hamburg Observatory in Germany by astronomer Dr. Lubos Kohoutek (pronounced "Ko-ho-tek") on March 7, 1973, while he was making photographic observations of asteroids. When first sighted, the comet was some 465 million miles (748 million kilometers) from the sun, out near the orbit of Jupiter (although nowhere near the planet itself). At the time, this was a record farthest distance for the discovery of a comet, and it was then relatively bright, as far as comets go, for being so far from the sun. The hope was that if it was so bright and unusual then, it would continue to be bright and unusual as it neared the sun.
In the end, Kohoutek was labeled as the "Flop of the Century" or simply "Comet Ko-flop-tek." Astronomy ended up with a public-relations black eye, and because they were "burned," the mainstream media made certain to steer clear of any future stories regarding the subject of comets. This was truly unfortunate, because just two years later, another comet — Comet West (C/1975 V1) — put on a spectacular show in the predawn skies of early March 1976, briefly becoming bright enough to be glimpsed in daylight and developing not one, but several tails. But it received only short shrift in newspapers, while radio and television all but ignored it.
What happened?
The root of all the excitement centered on Kohoutek's abnormal brightness at the time of discovery, which suggested that it was an unusually large and active object. What we have since learned is that Kohoutek was a "new" comet in a parabolic orbit — that is, it never passed near the sun before — and its surface was likely covered with very volatile materials such as frozen nitrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. These ices vaporize far from the sun, giving a distant comet a short-lived surge in brightness that can raise unrealistic expectations.
Still rife with uncertainty
We can't arbitrarily state with absolute certainty that all new comets turn into duds. Comet Arend-Roland (C/1956 R1) was a first-timer that put on a dramatic show during the spring of 1957. So there is always a "chance" that even a new comet can evolve into a spectacular celestial showpiece. We can never really be sure.
Lastly, the predictions on Kohoutek were based on what could be expected from it compared to an "average comet."
The trouble is, there apparently is no such thing as an "average comet."
If there is a proverb to this essay, I leave you with this oft-quoted statement from comet expert Dr. Fred L. Whipple: "If you must bet, bet on a horse, not a comet."
How the 'comet of the century' became an astronomical disappointment
Comet Kohoutek caused quite a stir when it blazed into the night sky in 1974 — before suddenly fading from view.www.space.com
Fringe religious groups and assorted eccentrics adopted the comet as their own, some saying it was a giant spaceship come to scoop up the faithful before the world came to an end.
The 'Comet of the Century' Failed to Impress, but It Wasn't Such a Disaster After All
Highly anticipated before its arrival in late 1973, Kohoutek became an interplanetary punchline. But astronomers may have gotten the last laughwww.smithsonianmag.com
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