Overview

• 3I/ATLAS was detected by ATLAS on July 1 and its hyperbolic orbit with a ~60 km/s inbound velocity confirmed it as the third known interstellar visitor.
• With an estimated diameter of roughly 12 miles, the object is expected to form a vapor–dust coma and tail as solar heating increases toward its October 29–30 perihelion.
• Preliminary kinematic models place its formation in the Milky Way’s ancient thick disk, implying preservation of primordial chemical and isotopic signatures.
• Space- and ground-based assets including Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope and numerous observatories are conducting coordinated spectroscopic and imaging campaigns.
• Despite most researchers favoring natural origins, a minority led by Avi Loeb has suggested a possible artificial nature based on its size and trajectory.