New telescope observations between November 5th and November 9th have captured unprecedented images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, revealing a complex multi-jet structure that has scientists questioning whether this is a natural comet or something else entirely. According to reports shared by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, astronomers Frank Niebling and Michael Buchner captured what may be the most detailed ground-based image yet using two telescopes and stacked five three-minute exposures. The images show at least seven distinct jets emanating from 3I/ATLAS in multiple directions, with some pointing toward the sun as anti-tails and others spreading in various directions, creating a network rather than the single tail expected from a normal comet.

The behavior of 3I/ATLAS continues to challenge conventional understanding. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed the object showed non-gravitational acceleration, meaning it sped up beyond what gravity alone could cause. In reference to this finding, Avi Loeb calculated in his recent analysis that 3I/ATLAS should have lost more than 13 percent of its original mass during its October 29th perihelion passage.

According to Loeb in his Newsmax interview, “the amount of boost to its velocity was equivalent to a jet carrying 5 billion tons of matter that would give it a recoil.” That kind of mass loss should create a massive visible tail pointing away from the sun, but observers are not seeing it. Instead, what emerged is this unprecedented seven-jet structure with a glowing halo extending half a million kilometers.

Adding to the mystery are the color changes observed throughout 3I/ATLAS’s journey. The object appeared red in early observations, shifted to green, and then after passing closest to the sun became bluer than the sun itself, which is backwards from what scientists expect. On October 24th, the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa made the first radio detection of 3I/ATLAS, picking up absorption lines from hydroxyl molecules. These molecules indicate the object is shedding water-related material, which fits with a natural comet explanation. However, physicist Michio Kaku offered an alternative theory in his News Nation interview, suggesting

3I/ATLAS could be a very old object, perhaps 7 billion years old, that has accumulated unusual chemical composition over time, which would explain why its nickel content is off scale compared to ordinary comets.

The scientific community remains divided on what 3I/ATLAS actually is. According to Loeb’s published analysis, he calculated the odds of this being a random natural comet from interstellar space at one in 100 million when factoring in its massive size and unusual orbital characteristics. The James Webb Space Telescope will measure exactly how fast material is shooting out of those jets and what it is made of in the coming weeks. Natural comets eject material at relatively slow speeds around half a kilometer per second, while rockets and advanced propulsion systems work at much higher speeds. 3I/ATLAS reaches its closest point to Earth on December 19th, about five weeks away, passing within 269 million kilometers. He has asked his Galileo Project team to analyze data in the coming months, watching for any smaller objects that might have separated from 3I/ATLAS. The next five weeks represent a unique opportunity to gather definitive data that will either confirm this as an unusual natural visitor or present observations that cannot be explained by conventional comet behavior.

Meanwhile, high-resolution images captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on October 2nd using the HiRISE camera remain unreleased. According to NASA’s communication with Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, these images will be made available once the government shutdown ends and operations resume, though scientists remain eager to see what that clearest view yet of 3I/ATLAS might reveal.