Technology & Science
OH Radio Pick-Up and CO2-Rich Spectra Recast Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS
New measurements—MeerKAT’s 24 Oct radio detection of hydroxyl absorption lines and JWST/SPHEREx finding an extreme CO2/H2O ratio—confirm 3I/ATLAS is a heavily processed comet, undermining ‘alien craft’ claims and dashing hopes it harbors pristine extrasolar material.
Focusing Facts
- MeerKAT logged 1665 MHz and 1667 MHz OH absorption from 3I/ATLAS on 24 Oct 2025, the first radio-line signature ever obtained from an interstellar comet.
- JWST-NIRSpec measured CO2/H2O = 7.6 ± 0.3 in the coma, placing the object 4.5σ above solar-system comet trends and indicating galactic-cosmic-ray alteration of its outer 15–20 m.
- ALMA tracked a 4-arcsecond right-ascension deviation on 29 Oct, implying non-gravitational acceleration consistent with losing roughly 10-17 % of the nucleus mass within a month.
Context
Public alien buzz around 3I/ATLAS echoes 1967’s “LGM-1” pulsar flap and 2017’s ʻOumuamua debate: sensational claims flourish when data are sparse. Historically, every new observational window—radio in the 1930s, X-ray in the 1960s, now JWST’s infrared reach—initially breeds exotic interpretations before mundane physics prevails. Long-term, these findings extend a century-old trend: interstellar debris looks less like untouched fossils and more like weathered veterans of billion-year cosmic-ray bombardment, limiting their value as probes of distant protoplanetary disks and strengthening the case for fast intercept missions. Whether or not fragments survive the December 19 Earth fly-by, the episode matters because it benchmarks how quickly global instrumentation and social media can pivot from discovery to conjecture to data-driven correction—a feedback loop that will shape humanity’s response to future, perhaps rarer, extrasolar messengers over the coming hundred years.
Perspectives
Mainstream science publications
Wired, IFLScience, Popular Science, WION — Portray 3I/ATLAS as an unquestionably natural comet whose oddities—radio OH absorption, CO2-rich coma, colour shift—are all consistent with known comet physics and cosmic-ray processing. By stressing scientific consensus and dismissing alien talk as "silly stuff," they may gloss over lingering uncertainties to protect institutional credibility and avoid sensationalism that could erode audience trust.
Speculation-friendly science/tech outlets amplifying Avi Loeb’s alien-tech hypothesis
Futurism, International Business Times UK, NDTV — Emphasise Loeb’s claims that huge jets, extreme mass loss and precise trajectory could mean 3I/ATLAS fragmented or is even powered by advanced technology rather than behaving like a normal comet. Sensational framing built around one celebrity scientist boosts clicks and hype, often sidelining peer review or counter-arguments that would weaken the dramatic ‘alien’ narrative.
Social-media–driven and tabloid coverage feeding conspiracy theories
IBT ‘NASA insider’ piece, Economic Times pyramid angle — Circulate viral claims that 3I/ATLAS is actively manoeuvring or firing jets aligned with the Pyramids of Giza, hinting at covert NASA knowledge or intentional alien signalling. Relies on unverified TikTok posts and speculative geometric coincidences, exploiting mystery to attract attention while providing minimal scientific substantiation or corrections.