Overview

• An amateur analysis by Simeon Schmauß found a faint Mastcam‑Z smudge near the comet’s expected position after stacking 20 Perseverance frames, though the candidate remains unconfirmed.
• A widely shared Navcam time‑lapse shows an elongated streak that Harvard’s Avi Loeb attributes to image stacking and long integration, not the object’s true shape.
• IFLScience’s astronomy expert says the bright streak seen by Navcam is more likely a Mars orbiter crossing the field than interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS.
• NASA and most astronomers continue to classify 3I/ATLAS as a natural comet, countering social‑media claims that interpret the images as evidence of an artificial craft.
• The object passed Mars on October 3 at roughly 29 million kilometers, and higher‑resolution views from Mars orbit are anticipated once data processing and releases resume.