Recently, scientists captured a stunning image of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. This detailed photo shows unique jets extending from the object. Taken between 5:08 AM and 5:22 AM on November 9, 2025, the image combines multiple 3-minute exposures using two telescopes. The photo reveals two anti-tail jets directed toward the Sun and a longer jet shooting away from it. At a distance of 326 million kilometers from Earth, these features measure staggering sizes—about 2.85 million kilometers for the tail jet alone.
The upcoming closest approach of 3I/ATLAS to Earth will be on December 19, 2025, when it will be just 269 million kilometers away. With such enormous jets, it’s unclear if particle detection missions, such as NASA’s Juno spacecraft, will be able to gather data from them.
Research suggests that the jets could be emitted at just 0.4 kilometers per second—similar to the gas behavior of natural comets. The long outflow period indicates these jets have been erupting for quite some time, raising questions about the object’s composition and origin. The mass density of these jets is astonishingly higher than what scientists expect from solar wind, suggesting they might contain more than simple cometary materials.
At this point, the idea that 3I/ATLAS may be of natural origin faces several challenges. For instance, its estimated mass of 50 billion tons is significantly larger than that of previous interstellar objects, like 1I/‘Oumuamua. This size disparity has puzzled scientists since there isn’t enough rocky material in interstellar space to explain their rarity. Statistically, an object of this mass should appear in our vicinity only once in every ten thousand years!
A new angle to consider is that these jets could be the result of engineering rather than nature. Advanced technologies could produce similar jet effects while requiring far less mass to propel them. For example, chemical rockets expel propellants at speeds much greater than what we observe from the jets of 3I/ATLAS.
As we await more data from future observations, particularly spectroscopic studies, we face a profound question: Is 3I/ATLAS a natural comet, or is it a technological craft? Understanding its jets’ velocity, composition, and behavior may help us find answers.
In the world of astronomy, discoveries like these stretch our knowledge and our imagination. As Avi Loeb, a leading astrophysicist and author, states, the essence of scientific inquiry lies in the willingness to learn. With the potential for groundbreaking finding ahead, the exploration of 3I/ATLAS could change our understanding of the universe forever.
For more detailed information on 3I/ATLAS, visit the Wikipedia page.
