3I/ATLAS: Harvard's Loeb Urges NASA To Release 40-Day-Old HiRISE Images Amid Global Intrigue

A celestial mystery is brewing. Esteemed Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has issued an urgent plea to NASA: release the 40-day-old images of the enigmatic object, 3I/ATLAS, captured by the HiRISE camera.

With the scientific community and the wider public captivated by the object's origin, the pressure is mounting on the space agency to share the crucial data.

The Renewed Call for 3I/ATLAS Data

With the US government shutdown now over, Harvard's Avi Loeb has again requested that NASA provide the detailed pictures of the mysterious space visitor, 3I/ATLAS. These photographs were shot over 40 days earlier using the HiRISE camera carried by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

In a compelling Medium post published on 11 November 2025, Loeb presents this demand as more than just a critical scientific necessity; he views it as a broader appeal for modesty concerning the unknown universe.

He proposes that keeping the data secret due to official procedures weakens the communal nature of research, especially since public curiosity about 3I/ATLAS is exceptionally high at present.

Humility in the Cosmos: Loeb's Philosophical Argument

To begin, Loeb establishes humanity's place in the universe. 'We are born for a short time on a rock we call Earth, a tiny relic from the formation of a nearby star we call the Sun, which formed in the last third of cosmic history.'

Since the majority of the Milky Way's 100 billion stars formed billions of years before our Sun, Loeb emphasises the vast, unknown expanse of both space and time, calling for a receptive attitude towards unusual finds, such as 3I/ATLAS.

He argues the primary obstacle to fresh understanding is 'the arrogance of expertise', where those who study comets reject different explanations based on insufficient teaching data, much like artificial intelligence trained only on the behaviour of comets.

Citing recent conversations with podcasters and news correspondents, such as Gadi Schwartz on NBC News and Elizabeth Vargas for NewsNation, Loeb explains why professionals quickly designate 3I/ATLAS as a natural comet, despite the object's anomalies.

Dismissing Anomalies: The 'Dark Comet' Comparison

He compares 'Oumuamua to a 'dark comet'— an object demonstrating acceleration not caused by gravity but lacking gas or dust — and points out that artificial items, including NASA's 2020 SO or SpaceX's Tesla Roadster, act in the same way, yet specialists overlook them in their models.

The seven streams seen around 3I/ATLAS over the last few days — discussed fully in a separate piece — could result from sublimating ice or, possibly, the firing of spacecraft thrusters. Nevertheless, opposition to novel concepts defends the currently accepted domains of knowledge.

For the future, Loeb points towards a promising way forward, before 3I/ATLAS reaches its closest point to Earth on 19 December 2025, it will be possible to determine its nature by measuring the velocity, thickness, elements, and possible fragments near perihelion of the jets.

'Seeking scientific data is key to learning the truth', he puts forward, noting that a desire to know unites, yet individual pride separates. The HiRISE photographs, which were recorded as the object passed Mars at a distance of 29 million kilometres with a 30 km/pixel resolution, represent important clues in this 'detective story'.

Tracking Resumes and Political Pressure Mounts

After a formal letter was delivered to NASA, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna escalated the demand with a post on X, 'As the government shutdown is about to end, can NASA please release the data that was held hostage by politics for 40 days? Scientific knowledge should not be second in priority to bureaucracy'.

The widespread interest truly underscores the significance of this story. Loeb shares the tale of a kitchen assistant who recognised his voice and asked for updates, demonstrating extraordinary public fascination. As of 11 November 2025, Earth-based observatories can resume their tracking efforts now that the object is more than 30 degrees away from the Sun. A NASA/JPL chart visually shows its path among the inner planets.

Public Fascination and the Bet for Extraterrestrial Tech

Loeb's positive outlook also includes a wager with Michael Shermer of the Sceptics Society. He believes definitive proof of technology from outside Earth will surface by 31 December 2030, with any winnings going to support the Galileo Project.

The remarks he made to the Long Now Foundation link 3I/ATLAS directly to new developments, including the Rubin Observatory and Galileo Project sites, drawing attention to billions of older systems, such as the Earth-Sun system and the duration of Voyager's trip through the galaxy. He concludes that 'It is better to be an optimist because life is sometimes a self-fulfilling prophecy'.

The piece also features a positive note from Dr Marino Tavarez, a family physician who was moved by Loeb's research, sharing how it sparked his 14-year-old daughter's deep interest in science, which ranges from studying telescopes to contemplating antimatter engines.

The latest occurrences further complicate Loeb's argument. During the shutdown, NASA refused to release the images, while the Chinese space agency released pictures of lower clarity from its Tianwen-1 probe.

After its close solar passage, 3I/ATLAS deviated from predictions and is now observed to be blue, exhibiting non-gravitational shifts. This rising excitement on social media, featuring comments from amateur and professional space observers alike, further amplifies the need for the data.