NASA monitors comet 3I/ATLAS, a rare interstellar visitor.
Crédits : NASA, ESA, D. Jewitt (UCLA), J. DePasquale (STScI)
NASA has gone on quiet alert after detecting something rather out of the ordinary – a fast-moving, interstellar comet known as 3I/ATLAS.
The object, roughly five kilometres wide, is racing through space at more than 209,000 kilometres per hour, and it’s unlike anything astronomers have seen in a long time.
It’s only the third interstellar comet ever discovered, meaning it didn’t form in our solar system but has been travelling through the galaxy for billions of years before taking a brief detour near Earth. That alone makes it worth studying. But what really caught scientists off guard were a few strange details that didn’t quite fit the usual script.
Unusual activity triggers NASA response
Discovered by the ATLAS project (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System), 3I/ATLAS initially appeared to be just another frozen traveller from deep space. But soon after its discovery, astronomers began noticing odd changes in its movement and composition.
Tiny but consistent fluctuations in speed and trajectory couldn’t be explained purely by gravitational forces. Even more intriguing, scientists detected gases and synthetic-like compounds in the comet’s coma – the glowing cloud that surrounds it.
While no one’s suggesting it’s anything other than natural, the anomalies were enough for NASA to quietly activate its planetary defence monitoring systems, a precautionary move to ensure that any sudden changes would be picked up immediately. Working alongside the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), NASA is now tracking the comet’s path around the clock using a network of telescopes and satellites.
The agency has made it clear that there’s no danger to Earth, but says the comet’s behaviour is unusual enough to warrant close observation.
Rumours of aliens flood social media
As with many strange happenings in space, the story hasn’t stayed purely scientific for long. Within hours of the news breaking, social media was flooded with conspiracy theories claiming the comet might not be a comet at all.
Some users suggested it could be an alien spacecraft or a probe sent by another civilisation, citing NASA’s “silence” as evidence that something was being hidden.
Scientists, however, have been quick to dismiss those ideas. There’s no credible evidence to suggest anything beyond the ordinary – or at least, the astronomical version of ordinary. The oddities observed so far, they say, can be explained through physics, chemistry, and continued observation.
How NASA protects Earth from the unexpected
The phrase “planetary defence system” might sound dramatic, but it’s very real. It’s a collection of global monitoring programmes designed to spot, track and study potentially hazardous space objects – from asteroids to comets – before they get too close for comfort.
The process starts with detection: powerful telescopes scan the skies every night for any object entering Earth’s neighbourhood. Once spotted, its trajectory, speed, and size are carefully analysed. If a risk is identified, NASA and international partners can plan ways to deflect or nudge the object slightly off course.
One of the main strategies is a kinetic impactor – a spacecraft intentionally crashed into the object to change its orbit just enough to miss Earth. The technique has already been tested successfully in space. In more extreme scenarios, controlled explosions might be considered, though this is seen as a last resort, as breaking an asteroid into fragments could create more problems than it solves.
A mystery still under the microscope
For now, NASA insists that 3I/ATLAS poses no threat, and scientists are treating it as a unique research opportunity rather than a crisis. Still, the comet’s strange features continue to fascinate experts and the public alike.
It’s a reminder of how little we still know about the universe – and how even a tiny visitor from the depths of space can reignite both wonder and wild speculation here on Earth.
