Alien object 3I/ATLAS began to give signals

The 3I/ATLAS object, which, according to some experts, may be an alien spacecraft flying through space at tremendous speed, sent its first radio wave signals, but scientists believe that this phenomenon has an understandable reason. The British Daily Star writes about this.

Astronomers have detected radio waves from an "interstellar anomaly" known as 3I/ATLAS when it passed half its way through the Solar System. On October 24, using the South African MeerKAT radio telescope, researchers detected hydroxyl radicals (OH) around the object. The analysis of molecules shows that the surface temperature of the mysterious object, currently located at a distance of about 320 million kilometers from Earth, is about -42 ° C, and its diameter reaches about 10 kilometers.

According to physicist Avi Loeb, a huge space rock may be an "extraterrestrial artifact" with which it will be possible to establish first contact soon. However, most scientists believe that the mysterious object is a comet that has been traveling in outer space for billions of years.

According to the portal Livescience, experts believe that the presence of radio waves proves the natural origin of the object, as they are the result of absorption of certain wavelengths associated with the presence of hydroxyl radicals or OH molecules in the shell of the comet.

"These radicals are formed as a result of the decay of water molecules released from the comet as a result of a natural process known as degassing, which, according to a 2016 study, is a clear sign of comet activity," the portal points out.

Astronomers have previously reported the presence of water, which is released by a celestial body. They noticed how the water erupts from the comet "like a fire hose" at full power. Recent studies show that water evaporates under the influence of solar radiation. The new radio signals were first detected shortly after the object briefly disappeared behind the Sun during the passage of perihelion or the closest point to the Sun and temporarily changed color.

Discovered on July 1, 2025, comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our Solar System that has been detected hurtling at high speed in space. Scientists believe that this celestial body may be the oldest comet ever observed and flew out of a star system near the Milky Way constellation about seven billion years ago.

New photos published this week showed that after passing behind the Sun, an "anti-tail" was discovered near the comet. Professor Loeb this week called on NASA to publish photos taken by space agency telescopes 40 days ago, but not yet publicly available due to the suspension of the US government. In his blog, Loeb wrote:

"Scientific knowledge should not be inferior in importance to bureaucracy."