Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS Passes Earth with Unusual Composition

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered in July 2025, is the third known object from outside our solar system, notable for its unusual composition with a coma rich in carbon dioxide and minimal water. Observations from space telescopes, including Hubble and James Webb, have revealed a large plume of gas and icy fragments, but the exact size of its nucleus remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 5 to 46 kilometers in diameter. Scientists at the Southwest Research Institute have proposed a mission concept called the Interstellar Comet Explorer (ICE) to perform a flyby and study such interstellar objects up close, using 3I/ATLAS as a key example. Concurrently, concerns have been raised by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and astrophysicist Avi Loeb about the possibility that 3I/ATLAS might be a technological object potentially capable of releasing mini-probes that could appear as unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) near Earth; they urge NASA to monitor the comet closely as it approaches the Sun and Earth. Luna also highlighted upcoming Congressional hearings on UAPs and the pursuit of greater transparency regarding potential non-human technologies. These developments underscore both the scientific intrigue and the speculative security considerations surrounding 3I/ATLAS as it continues its journey through the solar system.