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3I/ATLAS Faces Fresh Scrutiny After Perihelion as Loeb Cites Non‑Gravitational Acceleration

NASA and ESA report natural comet behavior with no anomalous signals or threat.

Overview

  • Avi Loeb says JPL tracking shows the first evidence of non‑gravitational acceleration near perihelion and raises a speculative artificial‑origin hypothesis.
  • NASA and the European Space Agency state the object’s activity fits a natural comet and report no anomalous signals.
  • Observers have noted unusual features, including an anti‑tail, a blue hue, and atypical passages near Jupiter, Venus, and Mars.
  • Closest approach to Earth is forecast for December 19 at about 267 million kilometers, followed by departure from the Solar System after January 2026.
  • An international campaign led by major observatories and IAWN continues, with Hubble/ESA reporting volatile and metallic signatures as size estimates range from very small to as large as roughly 20 kilometers.