US EditionInterstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals weird wobbling jets in rare sun-facing tail
- Researchers using the Two-meter Twin Telescope found wobbling jet structures in the sun-facing anti-tail of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during a July–September campaign.
- Researchers attributed the coma-to-tail change to increasing solar radiation as 3I/ATLAS neared the sun on Oct. 30, 2025, with velocity shifts linked to gas and dust emissions, said Natan Eismont.
- Analysis showed the jet features were wobbling every 7 hours and 45 minutes on 7 nights between Aug. 3 and Aug. 29, implying 3I/ATLAS's nucleus rotates once every 15 hours and 30 minutes.
- On December 19 the comet passed within 270 million kilometres of Earth and has now departed the solar system, while Russian scientists including Natan Eismont dismissed alien origin claims but said controversy boosted public interest.
- As the third known interstellar visitor, 3I/ATLAS offers researchers a rare chance to study a pristine body formed in another planetary system, with discoveries expected to rise in coming years.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Breakthrough Listen Searched Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS For Technosignatures During Its Closest Approach To Earth
The team found nine "events" that they investigated further. Meanwhile, another team looked at the "non-gravitational" acceleration of the comet, finally pinning down a better estimate of its size.
Russian scientists dismiss Israeli astronomer's alien spacecraft theory as interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS departs solar system after 270mn km Earth approach.
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals weird wobbling jets in rare sun-facing tail
3I/ATLAS may have moved away from Earth as it makes its way out of the solar system, but this interstellar intruder continues to delight and surprise astronomers, with new research suggesting it possessed a strangely wobbling jet in its coma.
As the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS passed Earth's closest point on December 19, this century-long debate has evolved from an orbital anomaly into a "survival warning." Harvard University professor Avi Loeb made startling remarks on Wednesday (December 24), suspecting that the green-glowing object is spewing "cyanide" gas into space and planning a mysterious seeding mission upon reaching Jupiter.
3I/ATLAS Video Sparks Physics Controversy But Scientists Say No Laws Broken
A widely circulated video purporting to show interstellar object 3I/ATLAS violating the laws of physics has ignited fierce debate across both scientific and amateur astronomy communities. The footage, uploaded to YouTube and shared across social media, depicts the recently discovered interstellar object moving in ways some claim defy established cometary dynamics. The controversy has brought into sharp relief the divide between mainstream scient…
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