3I/Atlas’s anti-tail ‘flipped’ as it nears Earth? Avi Loeb claims the interstellar comet contains something not seen in any other comet seems unaffected by the Sun’s radiation

Synopsis
3I/Atlas’s anti-tail ‘flipped’: Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas is baffling scientists with its 'flipped' anti-tail, a behavior astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggests points to an unconventional composition. Loeb criticizes the scientific community for dismissing alternative explanations too quickly, highlighting 13 anomalies in the comet's trajectory and appearance. This rare visitor continues to be observed as it journeys through our solar system.
3I/Atlas’s anti-tail 'flipped'? This unusual behavior is driving renewed attention toward the rare interstellar comet as it prepares for its closest approach to Earth on December 19. The object, which poses no threat and will pass at a safe distance of 167 million miles (270 million kilometers), remains visible to major observatories and space missions. NASA says 3I/Atlas will continue to be observable for several more months before it exits the solar system for good.
3I/Atlas’s anti-tail 'flipped': Avi Loeb claims
In a new analysis published on Medium, Harvard astrophysicist Professor Avi Loeb argues that the unusual behavior of 3I/Atlas’s anti-tail 'flipped' orientation suggests the comet contains “something else” not seen in typical Solar System comets.
Loeb writes that there is “no doubt that we can learn something new” from the interstellar visitor, whether it is a conventional icy body or something more unconventional. He criticizes what he calls “the arrogance of expertise” among comet specialists who, despite having only two earlier interstellar objects for comparison, 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov, dismiss alternative explanations too quickly.
Also Read: Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS erupting ice? Everything on the ‘ice volcano’ claim, Hubble’s odd anti-tail and Avi Loeb’s staggering interpretation
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According to Loeb, 3I/Atlas already shows 13 anomalies, the most striking being that the flipped anti-tail of 3I/Atlas reversed its direction before and after perihelion in Hubble Space Telescope images.
He stresses that this reversal is not a perspective illusion: “The orientation of the anti-tail flipped relative to the direction of motion at perihelion and is definitely not a matter of perspective as is the case for some comets.”
Why the flipped anti-tail of 3I/Atlas defies standard comet physics
Traditionally, microscopic dust from a comet forms a tail that is pushed away from the Sun by radiation pressure. But Loeb argues that this mechanism cannot explain why 3I/Atlas’s anti-tail 'flipped' direction entirely.
He writes that because radiation pressure should push material outward, the anti-tail must consist of “something else.” In three research papers, he proposes possibilities such as evaporating fragments of ice that vanish too quickly to be redirected or large, heavy pieces of debris that are unaffected by solar forces. As per him, 3I/ATLAS’s anti-tail is “made of fragments of ice that evaporate before turning around or large objects that are not affected much by the solar radiation or wind.”
Loeb questions the lack of broader scientific engagement, saying comet researchers and NASA officials appear unwilling to investigate these features with curiosity.
3I/Atlas’s anti-tail theory was criticized
Loeb argues that early interpretations of the 3I/Atlas anti-tail flip have been dismissed prematurely. He references criticism from Chris Lintott, who called wider interpretations “nonsense on stilts” only weeks after the comet’s discovery.
Loeb reveals he has written 11 papers on the object so far. In his first, he initially suggested that a large solid object reaching the inner Solar System might be due to “technological design”, but says the line was removed in peer review at Lintott’s request. He later co-authored a full paper examining technological possibilities.
Given the potential implications for humanity’s future, he insists these ideas merit careful, open-minded investigation.
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