Scientist Avi Loeb of Harvard University statedthat a new anomaly has been discovered at comet 3I/ATLAS.
According to the scientist, it is associated with a cloud of dust and gas surrounding the object. According to Loeb, there were no traces of microscopic dust particles, far beyond what was expected.
“It is noteworthy that there are no traces of microscopic dust particles that could enhance the blue color due to Rayleigh scattering. Furthermore, these small particles would be under strong pressure from solar radiation and would form a standard cometary tail spreading out from the Sun,” Loeb said.
The scientist added that the cause of the anomaly could be that there is a much larger volume of dust around 3I/ATLAS than expected. Because of this, it can contain particles much larger than regular comets.
3I/ATLAS is a cometary cosmic body seen in the Solar System. Its estimated age exceeds that of the Sun, making 3I/ATLAS likely the oldest comet ever observed by humans. At the same time, the theory that 3I/ATLAS may have an artificial origin has become popular on social networks.
On December 19, 3I/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 270 million km. After that, he began to move back to the distant regions of the solar system.
