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where we explore the wonders—and weirdness—of the cosmos. I'm your host,Summer, and today we're diving into one of the most talked-about space storiesright now: 3 I ATLAS. This interstellar comet has been making headlines sinceits discovery last summer, and even in January 2026, it's still droppingsurprises. So, what's going on with this cosmic traveler? Let's break it down.

First off, 3 I ATLAS isn't your average comet. It's the third confirmedinterstellar object to swing through our solar system—meaning it started itsjourney from another star system entirely. Discovered in July 2025 by the ATLASasteroid survey in Chile, its hyperbolic path screamed "visitor fromafar." Unlike objects born here, it won't stick around; it's just passingthrough at blistering speeds.

It zipped closest to the Sun at the end of October 2025, then brushedpast Earth in mid-December—no closer than about 170 million miles, so zerodanger. But that's when things got really interesting.

Astronomers have been watching closely with everything from Hubble andJWST to ground-based telescopes. And this thing doesn't behave like a typicalsolar system comet. For one, its coma—the fuzzy envelope of gas and dust—showsa bizarre anti-tail jet pointing straight toward the Sun, not away like we'dexpect. There are wobbling jets suggesting the nucleus is rotating every 15hours or so, and its outgassing is heavy on carbon dioxide with oddly low watervapor. Some analyses even highlight nickel in the gas—more like industrialalloys than natural comet ice.

Harvard's Avi Loeb has been vocal, pointing out up to 18 anomalies thatdon't perfectly fit the comet mold. Things like orbital alignments, jetpatterns, and possible non-gravitational boosts. He's careful to say it's mostlikely natural, but these quirks keep the conversation alive. Could it besomething more exotic? Most experts lean toward "very unusual naturalcomet," possibly billions of years old from a distant part of our galaxy.

Searches for alien tech—like radio signals from Breakthrough Listen—cameup empty. No artificial emissions. Just a silent, icy rock doing its thing.

As of now, in January 2026, 3 I ATLAS is outbound, fading fast, andheaded toward a close pass by Jupiter in March. It's too dim for backyardtelescopes anymore, but there's a final public livestream coming up on January22 during opposition—when it's perfectly opposite the Sun from us. Thatalignment could make its dust shine brighter in a phenomenon called theopposition surge. A great last chance to glimpse it before it vanishes into thevoid forever.

Why does this matter? Interstellar objects are rare windows into otherstar systems. Studying 3 I ATLAS helps us understand how planets and cometsform elsewhere. And with next-gen telescopes coming online, we might spot moreof these visitors soon.