Overview
- NASA and international observatories confirm 3I/ATLAS is a natural interstellar comet posing no threat to Earth.
- TESS precovery photometry indicates the object showed cometary activity near 6.4 astronomical units from the Sun.
- Avi Loeb’s non–peer-reviewed paper explores an alien-probe scenario and proposes a Juno spacecraft intercept in March 2026.
- Mainstream astronomers dismiss artificial-technology claims, attributing the comet’s trajectory and brightness to outgassing and dust emissions.
- 3I/ATLAS is expected to reach perihelion on October 30 at roughly 130 million miles from Earth, driving ongoing spectral and imaging campaigns.