Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shifts Color, Emits Cyanide and Nickel

In the coming years, the mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, 2025, passing at a distance of 168 million miles. As the comet draws nearer to the Sun, it has undergone some remarkable transformations.

Just last month, on September 7th, astronomers in Austria captured detailed images of 3I/ATLAS, revealing that its once reddish glow has now turned green. This color change is linked to a steep rise in the production of cyanide (CN), which the Very Large Telescope detected on August 25th. The comet is now emitting cyanide at a rate of 20 grams per second, along with nickel at around 5 grams per second.

These unusual emissions, which are not typical of natural cometary processes, have sparked speculation about the comet's potential technological origin. Harvard physicist Avi Loeb has suggested that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien probe, citing its massive size, extreme brightness, and the lack of a visible tail. However, the Austrian astronomers have dismissed this theory, noting that the comet's coma and tail are clearly visible in their data.

As 3I/ATLAS continues its journey through our solar system, scientists remain intrigued by its unique and rapidly changing characteristics. The comet's transformation from red to green-blue hues, coupled with its anomalous emissions, have left the scientific community eager to unravel the mysteries surrounding this interstellar visitor.