Scientists Puzzled by Mysterious Glowing Object Racing Toward Earth

Astronomers are once again scratching their heads after spotting something unusual streaking through space. A newly detected object, officially named 3I/ATLAS, appears to be glowing on its own as it makes its way toward the heart of our solar system.

This discovery marks only the third time an interstellar object has ever been observed, making it an extraordinary find. First spotted last month, 3I/ATLAS is already stirring debate in the scientific community, especially because it does not fit neatly into the category of comet or asteroid.

A glow that defies expectations

The object first drew attention from Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb, a scientist known for exploring bold possibilities about interstellar visitors. Loeb pointed to evidence of an unusual “glow of light” surrounding 3I/ATLAS, a characteristic not fully explained by current theories.

In a blog post, Loeb wrote that observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reveal a “glow of light, likely from a coma, ahead of the motion of 3I/ATLAS towards the Sun.” Normally, a comet’s coma is a cloud of gas and dust that forms around its icy core when it warms up.

What makes this strange is that, according to Loeb, there is “no evidence for a bright cometary tail in the opposite direction.” Other scientists believe this could mean dust is evaporating only from the side of the object facing the Sun. Loeb, however, is not convinced.

Later this year, 3I/ATLAS is expected to pass very near Mars

D. Jewitt et al/NASA/Wikimedia

After discussions with Harvard colleague Eric Keto, Loeb has suggested that 3I/ATLAS may be producing its own light rather than simply reflecting sunlight or glowing because of a coma.

Loeb explained that the “simplest interpretation” of its “steep brightness profile” is that the object’s nucleus itself “produces most of the light.”

How could that be possible? Loeb laid out two possibilities. The first is that the object could be a “rare fragment from the core of a nearby supernova that is rich in radioactive material” which is naturally emitting radiation.

The second, far more provocative idea, is that it might actually be “a spacecraft powered by nuclear energy, and the dust emitted from its frontal surface might be from dirt that accumulated on its surface during its interstellar travel.”

After discussions with Harvard colleague Eric Keto, Loeb has suggested that 3I/ATLAS may be producing its own light rather than simply reflecting sunlight

Loeb admitted that the supernova fragment theory is “highly unlikely” and that the spacecraft idea would require stronger evidence before it could be considered “viable.” Still, his willingness to explore these possibilities has once again brought attention to the broader debate about interstellar objects and their origins.

A radical new theory

Putting 3I/ATLAS in context

If Loeb’s theory is correct, 3I/ATLAS may be much smaller than initial estimates suggested, bringing it closer in size to the only two other known interstellar visitors: ʻOumuamua, discovered in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, observed in 2019. Both of those objects sparked heated debates about what kinds of bodies travel between star systems and what their presence means for us.

A close encounter ahead

Later this year, 3I/ATLAS is expected to pass very near Mars. Scientists believe this flyby could provide the best chance to study the object in greater detail. Loeb has urged that astronomers seize this opportunity to better understand its true nature.

Whether it turns out to be an unusual comet, a radioactive fragment from a long-dead star, or something far more extraordinary, 3I/ATLAS represents a rare chance to investigate the mysteries arriving from beyond our solar system.