Intuitive fred888: Comet? 31/Atlas?

begin quotes:
Origin: Ejected from another star system billions of years ago, possibly formed in the Milky Way's ancient "thick disk".
Composition: Unusually high in carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, with cyanide and nickel vapor, unlike typical Solar System comets.
Appearance: Extremely red, suggesting a thick, GCR-processed crust (10-15m thick) from cosmic ray bombardment.
Activity: Displayed unusual gas jets and an anti-tail, even facing the Sun, suggesting a complex subsurface structure.
Size: Nucleus estimated to be less than 1 km across.

Scientific Significance:

Planet Formation: Its unique properties suggest interstellar objects like 3I/ATLAS could act as seeds for planet formation.
Cosmic Processing: Shows the effects of intense cosmic ray bombardment over billions of years, transforming interstellar ices.
Planetary Defense: Served as a valuable "rehearsal" for tracking and analyzing interstellar visitors, notes.

You can watch this video for instructions on how to spot this comet:

Late Night Astronomy

YouTube • Jan 13, 2025

Public Interest:

The comet's oddities led to public speculation, with some suggesting alien technology, though scientists overwhelmingly support natural explanations, according to. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has been a prominent voice in these discussions,.

This video features Avi Loeb discussing the strangeness of 3I/ATLAS:

01:32

FOX 32 Chicago

YouTube • Sep 16, 2025

Timeline:

Oct 2025: Closest approach to the Sun.
Dec 2025: Closest approach to Earth, observed by NASA and ESA.
Mar 2026: Expected closest approach to Jupiter.

This celestial visitor has offered scientists a unique window into the composition and history of objects beyond our solar system, according to NASA.

3I/ATLAS Got Even Stranger On the Closest Approach to the ...
Nov 7, 2025 — system. and so here we have at least some hints on what some other star systems might be made out of but obviously noth...
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Comet 3i Atlas - Is it a SEED of LIFE or something STRANGE ...
Dec 5, 2025 — Comet 3I/ATLAS is turning into one of the most mysterious interstellar visitors we've ever seen 1:31 · Go to channel. T...
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10:33
Countdown clock to 3I/ATLAS. When will interstellar comet pass by Earth?
Dec 11, 2025 — 3I/ATLAS comet is the 3rd-ever object discovered that originated from outside our solar system. It's not a threat and ...
Florida Today

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View Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Through NASA's Multiple ...

NASA Science (.gov)

https://science.nasa.gov › solar-system › view-interstella...

NASA Science (.gov)

https://science.nasa.gov › solar-system › view-interstella...

Nov 19, 2025 — Comet 3I/ATLAS will fly closest to Earth about Friday, Dec. 19, at 170 million miles, which is almost twice the distance between the Earth and ...

People also ask

Will the comet 31 ATLAS be visible?

NASA Spacecraft Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS as It Approaches Mars

Yes, Comet 3I/ATLAS is visible now (December 2025) but requires a small telescope or binoculars, appearing as a faint smudge in the pre-dawn sky towards the southeast, and will remain observable until spring 2026, though it won't get bright enough for the naked eye as it's currently far from Earth and the Sun, despite its close approach on December 19.

How to See It:

When: In the hours before sunrise.
Where: Look towards the southeast, about 45 degrees above the horizon, as it rises.
Tracking: Use NASA's "Eyes on the Solar System" for its exact location.

Comet 3I/ATLAS Facts and FAQS - NASA Science

Where can I track the comet's current position in the solar system? NASA's "Eyes on the Solar System" online simulation shows the ...

NASA Science (.gov)

3I/ATLAS - Wikipedia

Observability * 3I/ATLAS is a faint comet that does not get very close to Earth or the Sun and was not expected to get brighter t...

Wikipedia

NASA's Hubble glimpses 3I/ATLAS again. See image of interstellar comet

7 days ago — Though 3I/ATLAS is not visible to the naked eye, those with even a small telescope can observe the comet in the pre-dawn...

USA Today

Comet 3I/ATLAS has returned to our morning sky. Here's how you ...

Nov 17, 2025 — That should make it relatively easy to find and photograph. How bright will it be then? Well, we can't know that. It w...

BBC Sky at Night Magazine

NASA drops photos of comet 3I/ATLAS. How to see it from Ohio

Nov 20, 2025

Akron Beacon Journal

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS shines in new images ahead of close ... - CNN

7 days ago — Comet 3I/ATLAS will come within 167 million miles (270 million kilometers) of Earth on December 19, but it will be on th...

CNN

What does NASA say about the 3I ATLAS?

NASA confirms 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet, similar to our solar system's comets but with unique characteristics, using assets like Hubble and Webb to study its unusual chemistry (like strong CO2, less water) and behavior (red-to-green glow, fast brightening) as it heads out of the solar system, offering insights into other star systems, while debunking outlandish alien theories.

This video explains some of the unusual characteristics of the comet:

Similar to Comets:
NASA's lead scientist for small bodies, Tom Statler, stated 3I/ATLAS "very, very strongly resembles" known comets, but with exciting differences.
Unusual Composition:
Data from James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows a coma dominated by carbon dioxide (
$cap C cap O sub 2$
) and very little water, unlike typical comets.
Color Change:
The comet's greenish glow comes from diatomic carbon (
$cap C sub 2$
), a common molecule, but its initial redness and rapid brightening are notable, indicating new molecules are released as it heats up.
Unique Behavior:
It exhibits unexpected brightening and a blueing trend near the Sun (perihelion) and shows non-gravitational acceleration, pointing to unusual gas/dust production.
Interstellar Origin Confirmed:
Observations of its speed and hyperbolic trajectory (not bound to the Sun) confirmed it formed in another star system, making it the third confirmed interstellar object.

Comet 3I/ATLAS - NASA Science

NASA Science (.gov)

View Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Through NASA’s Multiple Lenses

Nov 19, 2025

NASA Science (.gov)

ESA - Comet 3I/ATLAS – frequently asked questions

When and how are ESA's Mars's missions observing 3I/ATLAS? ESA's Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) observed the com...

European Space Agency

4 key things NASA just revealed about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

Nov 29, 2025 — For example, JWST results showed a coma dominated by carbon dioxide with very low water. That should create a predicta...

Reddit ·

r/space

Comet 3I/ATLAS passes sun at highest speed 'ever recorded,' NASA ...

Oct 29, 2025 — The rumor that 3I/ATLAS may not be a comet at all sprouted from Avi Loeb, an astrophysicist at Harvard University and ...

Austin American-Statesman

THIS SHOULD NOT EXIST !!! 3I/ATLAS shocks science ! Green ...

1 day ago — this color change tells us something very important guys it means the chemical makeup of the gas that is coming off three...

YouTube ·

On the Pulse with Silki

Countdown clock to 3I/ATLAS. When will interstellar comet pass by ...

4 days ago — How big is 3I/ATLAS? See photos of interstellar comet. An object known as 3I/ATLAS made news in July 2025 when it was co...

Florida Today

NASA Responds To Claims That Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Is An ...

Sep 15, 2025 — It very, very strongly resembles, in just about every way, the comets that we know,'' Tom Statler, NASA's lead scienti...

IFLScience

Comet 3I/ATLAS is getting greener and brighter as it ... - Live Science

3 days ago — Why is 3I/ATLAS going green? ... Don't rush to blame little green men for the comet's new greenish glow. Among the gases...

Live Science

3I/ATLAS: Everything you need to know about the new 'interstellar ...

Jul 10, 2025 — Multiple other researchers then quickly established that the object was an ISO using data going back to June 15, accor...

Live Science

Where is 31 ATLAS now?

3I/ATLAS is now visible from Earth with small telescopes. By ...

As of mid-December 2025, interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is in the constellation Virgo, moving away from the Sun and Earth but approaching its closest point to Earth on December 19, 2025, becoming visible with telescopes in the pre-dawn sky, showing signs of gas release and an anti-tail, as it heads back out of our solar system.

Current Location & Visibility:

Constellation: Virgo.
Visibility: Best seen with telescopes in the early morning (pre-dawn) sky as it gets closer to Earth.
Distance: Around 270 million km from Earth as of Dec 14, 2025, getting closer.

Comet 3I/ATLAS: Complete Information & Live Data | TheSkyLive

TheSkyLive

Where is comet 3I/ATLAS?

TheSkyLive

NASA's Hubble glimpses 3I/ATLAS again. See image of interstellar comet

7 days ago — Where is 3I/ATLAS now? Will it be visible from Earth? The comet 3I/ATLAS, which is not a threat to Earth, is projected t...

USA Today

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS heads toward Earth. How close will it get?

Dec 2, 2025 — What is 3I/ATLAS? An object known as 3I/ATLAS made news in July 2025 when it was confirmed to be the third-ever object ...

USA Today

Interstellar object Comet 3I/ATLAS: pics and details here - EarthSky

Nov 20, 2025 — Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is now leaving the solar system 3I/ATLAS – the world's 3rd-known object to enter our sola...

EarthSky

3I/ATLAS - Wikipedia

Trajectory * 3I/ATLAS follows an extremely hyperbolic trajectory past the Sun because it is moving too fast to be bound by the Su...

Wikipedia

Comet 3I/ATLAS Perihelion Update - SETI Institute

Nov 3, 2025 — Currently, 3I/ATLAS lies behind the Sun as seen from Earth, making it temporarily invisible to ground-based telescopes.

SETI Institute

Comet 3I/ATLAS is getting greener and brighter as it approaches Earth ...

3 days ago — Irradiated Comet 3I/ATLAS glows green and hides its tail in new image. 'Interstellar visitor' 3I/ATLAS may have just cha...

Live Science

3I/ATLAS Still Shows an Anti-Tail, as it Gets Closer to Earth | by Avi Loeb

2 days ago — As of today, December 14, 2025, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is at a distance of about 270.5 million kilometers from...

Avi Loeb – Medium ·

Avi Loeb

What happened with the 3I ATLAS?

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS's tail is still growing, new ...

3I/ATLAS (Comet C/2025 K1) is an interstellar comet that gained fame in late 2025 for its unusual behavior and appearance as it passed through our solar system, sparking viral speculation about it being alien technology, though scientists confirmed it's a natural object. Key events include its dramatic brightening, formation of multiple jets, and even splitting into pieces after a close solar brush in October, all while traveling on a hyperbolic path out of our system, providing unique insights into interstellar visitors.

Interstellar Origin:
3I/ATLAS is a visitor from another star system, detected by the ATLAS survey in mid-2025.
Close Solar Encounter (Oct 2025):
It made its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) on October 29, 2025, speeding up and then slowing down as it passed between Mars and Earth's orbits.
Dramatic Brightening & Jets:
Near the Sun, it brightened unusually fast and displayed multiple, powerful jets of gas and dust, some pointing sunward and anti-solar, leading to theories about its composition and nature.
Splitting:
Following its solar pass, the comet broke into at least three distinct pieces, captured in stunning footage by astronomers in early November.
Viral Speculation:
Harvard professor Avi Loeb and others suggested the anomalies pointed to artificial origins (like an alien spacecraft), citing unique chemistry (low water content) and jet patterns.
Scientific Consensus:
NASA and other experts confirmed 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet, though its extreme activity highlights how interstellar objects are shaped by the galaxy, unlike typical solar system comets.
Current Status (Dec 2025):
It's now visible in the night sky for observers with telescopes as it heads back into interstellar space, still revealing details about its altered surface and composition.