3I/ATLAS may be revving an engine, Harvard professor suggests

(NewsNation) — The Harvard astrophysicist who has openly wondered whether presumed comet 3I/ATLAS is an alien vessel is sharing some of his latest observations, including what he calls “non-gravitational acceleration” of the interstellar object.

In other words, is 3I/ATLAS revving an engine as it continues through our solar system?

“There was some propulsion that moved it away from its original trajectory, and I would have expected it would lose 10 to 20% of its mass as a result of the recoil,” Avi Loeb told “Banfield” on Friday.

The prospect of an engine aboard 3I/ATLAS may also explain why the object registered a blue appearance when its orbit recently came closest to the sun, Loeb says. The color could also come from “a source of artificial light,” or the “signature of ionized carbon monoxide … for a natural comet,” the science professor speculates in a recent blog.

Avi Loeb documents ‘anomalies’ of 3I/ATLAS

These tantalizing features are among nearly a dozen anomalies Loeb has documented while analyzing images and data surrounding 3I/ATLAS over the past several weeks. Others include the object’s lack of a traditional comet’s tail, its unusual chemical signatures and its sheer size (comparable to the footprint of Manhattan).

Although some observers are skeptical about Loeb’s theories — NASA, for the record, says it’s a harmless comet that poses no threat — others have rejoiced at the way the story has gotten non-scientists interested in space.

3I/ATLAS is expected to reach its nearest point to Earth in late December — if 170 million miles can be considered “close” — before leaving the solar system in January. Loeb continues to urge NASA to release high-resolution images taken Oct. 2 by the space agency’s HiRise camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

He suggests the valuable information has been delayed by the continuing federal government shutdown.

“When you have a visitor to your backyard, you better know its nature,” Loeb said Friday. “We can’t afford to just adopt the most likely interpretation, which is that it’s a natural object.”

The name 3I/ATLAS derives from the fact that it’s the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system; it was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System.