Scientists Discover Unexpected 3I/ATLAS Finding — But It's Not Extraterrestrial Life

3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object that has captured widespread attention for its unusual origin outside our solar system, continues to intrigue scientists. While some have speculated about extraterrestrial origins, NASA maintains that it is a comet, albeit with distinctive characteristics, and has launched a dedicated site to address public curiosity.

Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb suggested the object could be an alien spacecraft, a claim that NASA disputes. Recently, a non-peer-reviewed study revealed a surprising possibility: 3I/ATLAS might be covered with erupting "ice volcanoes" as it approaches the Sun, according to Live Science.

The study, published on Arxiv, notes that 3I/ATLAS is only the second confirmed interstellar comet to enter our Solar System. Analysis indicates that the object shares compositional similarities with dwarf planets and other distant solar system bodies beyond Neptune. Researchers propose that cryovolcanism could explain its unusual surface features, stating that "a mix of high metal content and abundant water ice accounts for the unique coma and chemical observations."

Lead author Josep Trigo-Rodrguez remarked, "We were all surprised. Despite forming in a distant planetary system, the surface material composition resembles trans-Neptunian objects, which are far from the Sun yet part of our own system."

The team obtained the clearest images yet of the comets gas and dust jets, providing strong visual evidence for their findings. Despite this, some enthusiasts remain intrigued by alien hypotheses. Loeb commented, "Bureaucrats or unimaginative scientists want us to believe in the expected, but the rest of us know the best is yet to come."

NASAs Hubble telescope captured images in July showing a teardrop-shaped dust cocoon around the comets icy nucleus. According to NASA, the comets size ranges from 1,444 feet (440 meters) to 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) in diameter. ATLAS first detected the object on July 1, 2025, in Chile. It poses no threat to Earth and will remain at a minimum distance of 1.6 astronomical units (about 240 million km).

Currently located approximately 4.5 au from the Sun, 3I/ATLAS is expected to reach its closest approach on October 30 at 1.4 au, just inside Mars orbit. Its visibility from ground-based telescopes will continue through September before the Suns glare obscures it, with renewed observations anticipated in early December.

Author: Grace Ellison