Overview
- 3I/ATLAS, only the third confirmed interstellar visitor, reached perihelion on October 29 at roughly 1.4 AU from the Sun, following a hyperbolic, one‑time path through the Solar System.
- NASA and other agencies say the object poses no threat, staying about 1.8 AU from Earth at closest approach in mid‑December, and it remains too faint for unaided viewing until it reappears in early December.
- Multiple teams report unusual spectral signals—including a CO2‑rich coma plus detections of cyanide and nickel vapor—observations that require cross‑checks and peer review.
- NASA cites a nucleus no larger than about 5.6 km, contrasting with isolated media claims of 14–20 km that remain disputed and unsupported by agency analyses.
- Amid public speculation led by Avi Loeb about a technological origin, NASA and most scientists report no evidence of anything other than a comet, with ESA’s JUICE set to observe and a NASA–IAWN campaign planned from late November to January.