What’s Going On with “Lights Seen on 3I/ATLAS”?
1. A Strange, Bright Glow — Not Just Reflected Sunlight
Hubble imagery captured on July 21, 2025 shows a glow ahead of the object’s direction of travel, rather than a typical tail trailing behind—a highly unusual feature for a cometary body
Medium
The Daily Beast
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Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb proposes that this glow may originate from the object’s nucleus emitting light, rather than merely reflecting sunlight
New York Post
Medium
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2. Could It Be Artificial—or Nuclear?
Loeb’s analysis suggests that if the nucleus is indeed the source, it could be a compact, active emitter small enough (under 100 m) to align with previous interstellar objects like ‘Oumuamua
Medium
New York Post
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He entertains two provocative possibilities:
A natural radioactive core, such as a fragment of a supernova remnant.
A technological object, perhaps a nuclear-powered spacecraft or probe
Medium
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Loeb, along with colleagues, has noted the object’s trajectory is finely tuned—passing near planetary orbits, timed when Earth is on the opposite side from the Sun—which raises further speculation about its nature
The Daily Beast
Wikipedia
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3. Mainstream Science Still Says “Comet”
Bodies like NASA and other astronomers continue to classify 3I/ATLAS as an interstellar comet, with a visible coma and a developing tail
The Guardian
Live Science
Chron
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Observations have confirmed water (OH) emissions in its coma—typical behavior for comets—revealing active sublimation well beyond 3 AU from the Sun
arXiv
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Spectroscopic data also point to a red, organic-rich surface—similar to D-type asteroids—rather than anything clearly artificial
arXiv
Reddit
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