The Hubble Space Telescope has delivered the clearest images yet of our newest cosmic visitor: 3I/ATLAS (NASA).1 And the latest data has astronomers both interested and puzzled. The third confirmed interstellar object ever found, 3I/ATLAS is a strange object racing through our solar system at a fast 210,000 km/h.2 What Hubble’s new images show is a comet behaving in an unexpected way, challenging what we thought we knew about these ancient travelers.
The First Sighting: A Rare Discovery
The story began on July 1, 2025, when the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in Chile found the object.3 Its high speed and orbit—a path that will not return to the Sun—quickly showed it came from outside our solar system.4
Before 3I/ATLAS, we had only found two other interstellar visitors: ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.5 This is only the third time we’ve gotten a quick look at material from another star system, a valuable sample of dust and ice from a distant place.6
The Strange Pictures: A Teardrop in Space
Hubble’s pictures from July 21, 2025, were important.7 The images showed a teardrop-shaped cloud of dust around the comet’s icy core.8 Unlike a typical comet, which leaves a tail of gas and dust behind it, 3I/ATLAS seemed to have a glow in front of its direction of travel. This strange behavior, along with the fact that there was no gas detected, has created a lot of discussion in the scientific community.
Astronomers like David Jewitt suggest that a slow rotation of about 16 hours could explain the look. It might be releasing dust from its sun-facing side, making it appear as if the cloud is in front.9 Still, the lack of gas molecules makes it unlike any other comet we’ve studied.
The Fast Numbers: A Visitor That Won’t Return
3I/ATLAS is the fastest interstellar visitor we’ve seen. At 210,000 km/h, it could travel from New York to Los Angeles in just over a minute. This high speed is what allows it to escape the Sun’s gravity and continue its trip through the galaxy.10
The comet will make its closest approach to the Sun in late October 2025, at a safe distance just inside the orbit of Mars.11 After that, it will head out of our solar system, never to come back.12
The Theories: Natural Rock or Alien Craft?
What exactly is 3I/ATLAS? The most common theory is that it is a natural comet that formed in another star system.13 It was likely thrown out of its home and has been traveling through space ever since, before our Sun’s gravity briefly caught it. This theory explains many of its cometary behaviors.
However, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has also suggested a different idea.14 In a new paper, he and his team consider the possibility that 3I/ATLAS is not a natural object but a piece of alien technology.15 Citing its unusual path and behavior, Loeb raises the idea that a civilization might have sent a craft to look at our solar system. Most scientists are doubtful, but Loeb argues that considering all possibilities is key to discovery.16
The Chase Debate: Can We Reach It?
The thought of an object from another star escaping our reach has started a debate. Can we catch it? A paper co-authored by Avi Loeb suggests that NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which is currently at Jupiter, could be used for a flyby mission.17 By using Jupiter’s gravity, Juno could change its orbit to intercept 3I/ATLAS around March 2026.18
This mission would be a major challenge, needing a lot of fuel and a tight schedule. It would also mean cutting short Juno’s study of Jupiter. The question is, is the scientific value of getting a close look at an object from another star system worth the risk and resources?
Why It Matters: A Message in the Dust
No matter its origin, 3I/ATLAS is very valuable for science. Studying what it is made of could give us information about how planetary systems are formed around other stars. By looking at its dust and ice, we could be seeing the original building blocks of another world.
The discovery of 3I/ATLAS also suggests there are many more interstellar objects passing through our solar neighborhood.19 As our telescopes get better, these encounters may become more common, offering a new way to understand the size and variety of the galaxy.
Countdown to October: A Final Look
As August comes to a close, the clock is ticking for 3I/ATLAS. For the next few weeks, astronomers will keep their telescopes focused on the comet, gathering as much data as they can before it gets too close to the Sun. It will show up on the other side in December, but by then, its chance to be seen clearly will be gone.
Should we let this ghost-like comet go back into space, or is this our one chance to reach out and touch something truly alien?
Sources
1. Times of India – “NASA Hubble Space Telescope captures image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS speeding at 130,000 mph.”
2. EarthSky – “New interstellar object candidate heading toward the sun.”
3. NASA – “3I/ATLAS.”
4. Vajiram & Ravi – “3I/ATLAS.”
5. IAC – “3I/ATLAS: IAC monitoring closely the third interstellar object detected in the Solar System.”
6. Times of India – “NASA Hubble Space Telescope captures image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS speeding at 130,000 mph.”
7. EarthSky – “New interstellar object candidate heading toward the sun.”
8. KSL – “Hubble Space Telescope takes best picture yet of a comet visiting from another solar system.”
9. EarthSky%20from%20the%20sun.) – “New interstellar object candidate heading toward the sun.”
10. NASA – “How was it determined that 3I/ATLAS is interstellar?”
11. EarthSky – “New interstellar object candidate heading toward the sun.”
12. Vajiram & Ravi – “3I/ATLAS.”
13. NASA – “Where did 3I/ATLAS come from?”
14. Yahoo News – “Could comet 3I/ATLAS be alien in origin?”
15. Space.com – “Controversial paper questions whether 3I/ATLAS is possibly hostile alien tech in disguise.”
16. The Jerusalem Post – “Most researchers still classify 3I/ATLAS as a comet.”
17. Avi Loeb – Medium – “The duck test of 3I/ATLAS.”
18. Times of India – “NASA Hubble Space Telescope captures image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS speeding at 130,000 mph.”