Since its discovery on July 1, 2025, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has intrigued scientists and the public alike. As
the third interstellar visitor detected – following 1I/Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019) – 3I/ATLAS has even sparked
speculation about alien origins, a consequence of increased disclosure-related content online. While dismissing such
theories out of hand isn't wise, any claims about the object's technological origin require rigorous study, not
According to Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, 3I/ATLAS exhibits unusual behavior, particularly its "anti-tail," which he
has written about extensively. Loeb, who leads the Galileo Project, has identified at least 14 anomalies associated with
Loeb has highlighted specific aspects of the anti-tail in his research, including:
* The fact that 3I/ATLAS maintained a sunward jet even after its gravitational deflection of 16 degrees at perihelion.
* The tight collimation of the anti-tail's sunward jet.
Loeb notes the low probability (0.000025) of a tightly collimated jet appearing as the anti-tail in the direction of the
Sun both before and after perihelion. Observations from December 15, 2025, show the jet collimated to within 8 degrees
out to a distance of half a million kilometers, which he considers another highly unlikely occurrence.
Loeb poses the question: What natural process could create such a tightly focused anti-tail jet directed towards the Sun
both before and after the object's closest approach to the sun?