Astronomers recently detected the first radio signal from the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it neared the Sun. While some theorists, including Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, speculated it could be an alien spacecraft, the signal is actually due to hydroxyl radicals formed from water molecules decomposing through natural outgassing—a typical cometary process.
Discovered in July, 3I/ATLAS is one of the oldest observed comets, potentially originating from an alien star system up to 7 billion years ago. Previous observations showed significant water outgassing, confirmed by NASA’s detection of water flowing from the comet.
The radio emissions, detected on October 24, coincided with the comet’s perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) and exhibited unusual brightening and color changes. Despite some misconceptions, these features have explanations grounded in cometary science, and the comet remains classified as a natural object.
Additionally, a newly discovered comet, C/2025 V1 (Borisov), was mistakenly linked to 3I/ATLAS, but it is a standard Solar System comet. Claims of 3I/ATLAS being responsible for the new object were quickly dismissed. Overall, the scientific consensus supports a natural origin for 3I/ATLAS, debunking various conspiracy theories surrounding it.
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