NASA Investigates Unexplained Behavior of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
Río Hurtado, Chile – NASA is conducting a special operation to investigate unusual behavior detected in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered July 1, 2025, by teh Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope located in chile. The comet, estimated to be between 20 and 30 kilometers in diameter, originated outside of our solar system.
Harvard‘s Minor Planet Center – funded by NASA and dependent on the International Astronomical Union (IAU) - is preparing for an observational campaign and will host a workshop focused on refining comet astrometry techniques to ensure accurate data interpretation.
Astronomer Avi loeb estimates the comet’s rocky core has a diameter of approximately 5.6 kilometers and a mass exceeding 33,000 million tons, classifying it as one of the most massive interstellar objects observed to date.
As of the latest observations, the comet was located over 670 million kilometers from the Sun, traveling at a speed of 61 kilometers per second. The Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary islands (IAC) is collaborating with international partners to analyze the comet’s composition, trajectory, and potential scientific implications as it passes through the solar system.
