A mysterious visitor from beyond our solar system is captivating astronomers – and sparking a flurry of speculation. Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is exhibiting a peculiar behavior: a regular brightening and dimming, a pattern some are calling a “pulse.” This has ignited debate, with some even suggesting the possibility of extraterrestrial technology.
Dr. Matthew Genge, a specialist in micrometeorites and cosmic dust at Imperial College London, offers a more grounded perspective. He explains the periodic brightening isn’t unusual for comets, occurring roughly every sixteen hours. “If it’s a heartbeat,” he quips, “those aliens are really, really, super chill, because that’s incredibly slow.”
However, the idea of an artificial origin hasn’t been dismissed entirely. Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb has called for further observation, noting the pattern of jets emanating from the comet resembles a deliberate “heartbeat.” He acknowledges a natural explanation is possible, but suggests the possibility of intentional maneuvering.
Dr. Genge remains skeptical, describing the current media attention as “ludicrous.” He firmly believes 3I/ATLAS is simply a “dirty snowball in space,” and the pulsing is likely caused by a volatile patch of ice on its surface. As the comet rotates, this patch is exposed to sunlight, heating up and releasing gas and dust – creating the observed jets.
Visualizing the comet’s core is proving difficult, Dr. Genge notes. “It’s like trying to see a white cat in fog,” he explains, due to the substantial gas cloud surrounding it. This phenomenon, periodic brightening due to surface ice, has been observed in numerous comets before, making it the most plausible explanation.
He playfully suggests a more compelling sign of intelligence would be periodic brightening *accompanied* by a beeping sound, perhaps indicating an attempt to reverse course. Ultimately, he reiterates the comet’s behavior aligns perfectly with what we expect from a typical comet: “It looks like a comet, it behaves like a comet… therefore, it’s most likely a comet.”
Despite its likely mundane nature, 3I/ATLAS is remarkable for its age – estimated to be billions of years older than our own sun. Scientists dream of one day landing on an interstellar comet to analyze its composition, but so far, only three have been observed. The first, Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017, leading scientists to believe these visitors are more common than previously thought.
Dr. Genge draws a relatable analogy: “We’ve all sat waiting for buses, haven’t we? Three can come at once.” While three observations aren’t enough for definitive statistical analysis, they suggest that planetary systems routinely eject material into interstellar space.
The comet is expected to become less active around March of next year as it moves further from the sun, but will continue to be tracked by astronomers – and those hoping for a more extraordinary explanation. Dr. Loeb even speculates it could release “technological devices” near Jupiter.
However, 3I/ATLAS won’t be joining our solar system permanently. It’s destined to continue its journey into outer space, potentially having been ejected from its original system by a gravitational “slingshot” effect from a gas giant like Jupiter. Dr. Genge notes Jupiter’s tendency to “bully” smaller celestial bodies, flinging them out of the solar system.
The comet will reach its closest approach to Earth on December 19th, but will still remain a distant 170 million miles away – twice the distance between Earth and the sun. And after that? Dr. Genge predicts, “When it actually leaves and nothing happens, we’ll stop talking about it.”
