3I/Atlas Update ~ 22 July 2025

The colors in the new image were the results of different filters being used to image the comet's coma. (Image credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/K. Meech (IfA/U. Hawaii)Image Processing: Jen Miller & Mahdi Zamani (NSF NOIRLab))

Link: LiveScience 

It's been a while since I checked in on the news to see if there was any update about Comet 3I/Atlas ~ that was what I was thinking last night as I was finishing up my post. It was already very late so I told myself I would do that the next day, and that's today.

In a happy act of Synchronicity, SpaceWeather.com had an update about 3I/Atlas! I had to nudge my lower jaw back into place when I read the article they had featured ~ after the massive fightback by "experts" to "debunk" speculations about Oumuamua (that it's an extra-terrestrial craft or device from an advanced civilisation) I did not expect SpaceWeather to be (albeit guardedly) featuring research that suggests 3I/Atlas has intelligent design and purpose instead of being a mere Comet, interstellar or otherwise.

Please read SpaceWeather's summary of Avi Loeb & Colleagues' research here:

https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=22&month=07&year=2025

This is the same Avi Loeb who also said Oumuamua wasn't a comet ~ most of his fellow Scientists did not agree and proceeded to thoroughly debunk his theories.

I am far from an expert on such matters, but simple logic suggests to me that a "comet" of this size (24 km) and zipping across Space at over 60km/sec (216,000km/hr) may be on some sort of important mission. When it comes to Comets, I always ask about its payload. Of course I would also like to know who sent them 😁

Its trajectory looks like an intentional avoidance of colliding with Mars:

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/3i-atlas/

 

Recent research also implied that this is the oldest Comet we've seen:

https://www.space.com/astronomy/asteroids/astronomers-say-new-interstellar-visitor-3i-atlas-is-very-likely-to-be-the-oldest-comet-we-have-ever-seen

 

Let's keep track. Namarie! 💜

P/S. I referred to this in my previous post about 3I/Atlas and I'll bring it up again here ~ Strange New Worlds: Children of the Comet. Brilliant story.

Comet 3I/Atlas: Videos

SciNews

SciNews has pulled together some details about 3I/Atlas in video form:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt-BXrI7wGI

 

Here's a short clip of the Comet whizzing through our Solar System:

Space.com

I don't know why but I'm so chuffed seeing this video....

Namarie! 💛

Comet 3I/ATLAS ~ Our Third Interstellar Visitor

SpaceWeather

An approaching object that was just discovered on 1 June has now been identified as an interstellar comet. Named Comet 3I/Atlas (3I for "third interstellar"), research revealed that this object first appeared in telescope observations in mid-June but went unnoticed then.

The mysterious Oumuamua was "officially" our first interstellar visitor with Borisov being the second. Initial estimates place the size of this Comet 3I/Atlas at about 20km (!) and travelling at a high speed of 68 km/second. As I was reading some of the reports of this new Comet, I can't believe that it's been 8 years since Oumuamua's visit (2017) ~ it seems like just a couple of years ago.

The first two interstellar Comets measured only 0.5 and 1km respectively (reports vary), so the mind boggles with this one being 20km! Perihelion is at end-October, when it comes close to Mars:

Space.com

I still can't understand how it is that Oumuamua was (officially) our first interstellar visitor. Were there others that we haven't been told about? Or is it because the technology wasn't able to differentiate local Comets from interstellar ones? 

If there weren't any interstellar visitors in all the years prior to 2017, why are we now getting three in 8 years? (Again, I highlight the size of this one....20km.)

And of course, my usual question when it comes to Comets ~ especially interstellar ones ~ what is the payload?

For more details, here are some links:

https://www.space.com/astronomy/comets/new-interstellar-comet-3i-atlas-is-hurtling-through-the-solar-system-and-you-can-watch-it-live-online-today

https://spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=03&month=07&year=2025

https://earthsky.org/space/new-interstellar-object-candidate-heading-toward-the-sun-a11pl3z/ 

 

As a side note ~ and I kid you not ~ I just re-watched an episode of Strange New Worlds yesterday (prepping for Season 3 in a couple of weeks) titled "Children of the Comet". Then I read about 3I/Atlas earlier today....

Namarie! 💗