3I/ATLAS Shock: Harvard Scientist Avi Loeb Claims Comet Is Escorted By Unknown Objects

The bizarre behaviour of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has once again captured the world's attention. This comet-like visitor from another star system has baffled scientists for months, showing unusual characteristics regarding its path, its velocity, and, most curiously, the shape of its tail.

First discovered on 1 July 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile, it is only the third confirmed interstellar object known to pass through our system, following 'Oumuamua and Borisov. As new images continue to arrive, the puzzle surrounding 3I/ATLAS only deepens, leaving researchers across the globe watching closely, hoping that the next wave of data will finally clarify the true nature of this strange cosmic phenomenon.

The comet is travelling at a hyperbolic, unbound trajectory, confirming its interstellar origin, and was measured to be moving at an incoming speed of approximately 61 kilometres per second (nearly 136,500 mph) relative to the Sun, classifying it as one of the fastest comets ever observed. What is this peculiar object, and why does it seem to break all the known rules of cometary physics? The latest, and perhaps most startling, theory comes from a Harvard scientist, suggesting that what appears to be a comet's tail is, in fact, something entirely unprecedented.

Harvard's Startling Theory on the 3I/ATLAS Anti-Tail

For months, scientists have observed the strange habits of 3I/ATLAS, but the latest idea proposed by Harvard scientist Avi Loeb adds a completely new and surprising layer to the mystery. He posits that the object's tail may not be a normal cometary tail at all. Instead, he suggests it could be composed of a swarm of unknown objects travelling in close proximity to the comet-like body.

This radical suggestion is based on photos taken in November after 3I/ATLAS made its closest pass to the Sun. Loeb meticulously observed that the glow surrounding the object—known as the coma—did not behave as expected. Typically, a comet's tail points away from the Sun because the pressure of sunlight pushes dust and gas particles backwards.

However, Loeb noted that the coma surrounding 3I/ATLAS possessed a distinct teardrop shape that was, quite unusually, pointing towards the Sun. Observing a tail or glow pointing forward is genuinely rare and unexpected in astronomical observations, which led Loeb to coin the term 'anti-tail' for this peculiar feature. This unusual behaviour has further intensified the debate over the true nature of the interstellar visitor, as detailed by Primetime.

Further adding to the mystery, observations showed that 3I/ATLAS has exhibited surprisingly little non-gravitational acceleration despite shedding huge amounts of gas and dust. This lack of expected acceleration is one of the key anomalies that suggests the comet's nucleus must be substantially larger and more massive than previously estimated, possibly measuring between 0.3 and 5.6 kilometres in diameter.

What Could Be Making Up the Mysterious 3I/ATLAS Swarm?

If this 'anti-tail' phenomenon is indeed a swarm of objects, as proposed, the next logical set of questions arises: What exactly are these things? Are they simply small pieces of rock? Could they be broken fragments that splintered off from the core of the comet itself? Or, is it possible that they represent a new class of object that scientists have never encountered before?

Loeb argues that if these supposed objects do not react to the constant bombardment of sunlight in the same way the main comet does, their positions in photographs might be different from expected. This difference in light interaction could create the visual effect of the swarm sitting in front of the comet, rather than trailing behind it. Furthermore, a concentrated group of these objects could reflect a considerable amount of sunlight. Even if the individual objects are relatively small and light, their collective presence could produce a very bright glow, causing 3I/ATLAS to look noticeably different from any normal, familiar comets.

At present, scientists worldwide simply do not know whether these objects are natural cometary debris or something more fundamentally unusual. Loeb himself summarised the core problem in his post, asking: 'Are they rocky fragments or something else?' The inability to answer this fundamental question is what makes the 3I/ATLAS case so captivating.

Other Strange Ideas and NASA's View on 3I/ATLAS

Loeb is known for proposing unconventional theories. Earlier in the month, prior to the 'swarm' concept, he had theorised that the anti-tail might originate from a beam of light emanating from the object itself. He suggested that such a beam could actively clear tiny space particles from the comet's immediate path, creating the visual effect. While most scientists did not concur with this particular concept, it certainly sparked a lively discussion online about the unique properties of the interstellar object.

However, the official stance from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) remains more conventional. NASA continues to believe that 3I/ATLAS is a perfectly natural comet that simply originated from another star system. Their scientists have even reported finding definitive signs of ice volcanoes on its surface. This characteristic is similar to that observed on icy objects far beyond Neptune in our own Solar System.

Crucially, spectroscopic studies of 3I/ATLAS revealed an unusually high ratio of carbon dioxide to water ice in its coma, a composition that is significantly different from most comets formed in our solar system. This finding surprised many researchers because 3I/ATLAS was formed in a completely different stellar neighbourhood, yet it shares fundamental traits with objects near us. As scientists wait patiently for more data, the mystery around 3I/ATLAS continues to grow, leaving the world to wonder about the strange visitors traversing the cosmos.

As 3I/ATLAS continues its swift journey out of our Solar System, the window to definitively unravel its mysteries is rapidly closing. Will the final data confirm Loeb's theory of a mysterious swarm, or solidify NASA's view of an extraordinary, yet natural, comet?