US EditionMeerKAT Telescope Confirms 3I/ATLAS Comet is Natural
- On October 24, 2025, MeerKAT radio telescope detected radio absorption from 3I/ATLAS, and researchers called it natural emission, strengthening evidence the object is a comet.
- As it neared perihelion on October 29, 2025, 3I/ATLAS experienced increased sublimation from solar radiation, splitting frozen water into hydroxyl radicals.
- Using L-band receivers, the team measured OH absorption at 1,665 and 1,667 megahertz with rms sensitivity 1.5 mJy/beam and FWHMs 0.88 km/s and 1.26 km/s.
- While proponents argued for a technological origin, MeerKAT findings undermined those claims as Avi Loeb, Harvard astrophysicist, acknowledged OH detection but remains engaged in the inquiry.
- On December 19, 2025, astronomers plan continued monitoring of 3I/ATLAS as it approaches its closest point to Earth, after passing within 53 million kilometers of Jupiter on March 16, 2026.
49 Articles
49 Articles
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Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS mystery solved: Astronomers detect first radio signal revealing its origins
Scientists have detected the first radio signal from interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. This discovery confirms the object is a natural comet, not an alien probe. The signal revealed natural emissions from hydroxyl radicals, a sign of water activity. This finding settles debates about its origin. ...
First radio signal detected from 3I/ATLAS as it swiped past the Sun
3I/ATLAS emits first radio signal: The MeerKAT radio telescope at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory has announced the detection of the first-ever signal from the interstellar object. The detection was made on October 24, after two failed attempts in September.
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