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NASA Releases Images of Interstellar Comet, Not an Alien Spaceship
NASA ruled out alien technology for interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, confirming it as a comet with unusual composition and behavior, the third such object observed.
- Wednesday, NASA released fresh images and officials said astronomers determined 3I/ATLAS is a comet probably older than the solar system, with Amit Kshatriya saying, `I would like to address the rumors right at the beginning-- I think it's important that we talk about that`.
- The ATLAS telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile first detected 3I/ATLAS, tracked by astronomers since, and NASA delayed releasing images during the 43-day federal government shutdown.
- Images show a bright center and a coma, Hubble Space Telescope limited 3I/ATLAS's size to no wider than 3.5 miles and possibly as small as 1,400 feet, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter photographed it from about 19 million miles.
- NASA said 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth and will not come closer than about 170 million miles, and Nicola Fox said they have seen no technosignatures indicating extraterrestrial technology.
- Measurements show unusual carbon dioxide-to-water and nickel-to-iron ratios, and Avi Loeb has argued it could be technological while NASA plans further observations next spring including by Juno spacecraft.
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NASA notes that the third interstellar visitor comes from a solar system older than ours.
NASA releases images of comet 3I/ATLAS, rejects alien spacecraft ‘rumors’
WASHINGTON — NASA released fresh images on Wednesday of the interstellar object called 3I/ATLAS that astronomers have determined is a comet probably even older than our solar system, as U.S. space agency officials dismissed speculation that it is actually an alien spacecraft.
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Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
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- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 33%
R 17%
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