Overview

• Detected on July 1 by the ATLAS system in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object following ’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
• Telescopic observations reveal classic cometary features—including a coma and tail—with an estimated 11-kilometer diameter and speeds exceeding 100,000 km/h.
• In a July 31 release, NASA deemed an artificial origin “improbable,” echoing conclusions from researchers such as Samantha Lawler who favor a natural explanation.
• Avi Loeb and the Initiative for Interstellar Studies continue to propose an engineered-probe scenario, but their interpretation lacks wider scientific endorsement.
• Trajectory calculations show a perihelion around October 29–30 at about 209 million km from the Sun and a closest Earth approach of 240 million km without collision risk.