NASA
Recent buzz on social media, sparked by a post claiming NASA activated its Planetary Defense Protocol for interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, could be incorrect. Pixabay

The Universe just got a lot more interesting. A recent report from Spain has sent ripples through the scientific community, claiming that NASA may have initiated a critical defence protocol.

This move reportedly followed the detection of an unknown object, potentially signalling a shift in how we perceive and prepare for cosmic events. Could this be the moment our planetary defence systems truly sprang into action?

An X post circulated recently has again stirred up talk regarding the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, asserting that the moment the comet was found, NASA put its 'Planetary Defense Protocol' into effect.

Nevertheless, reliable scientific information verifies that the video accompanying the claim bears no connection to the object and that no emergency steps of this kind were initiated.

Digital Outburst Follows Widespread Assertion

The update, posted by X user @HustleBitch_, features a short video originally from TV Azteca Laguna and posted on TikTok. This clip has Spanish writing placed over it that states: 'Ahora sabemos porque la NASA active el Protocolo de Defensa Planetaria' ('Now we understand the reason NASA switched on the Planetary Defense Protocol').

The video clip was paired with a descriptive note that stated: 'BREAKING: NASA'S WORST FEAR JUST ENTERED OUR SOLAR SYSTEM'. New footage shows a glowing, cigar-shaped object believed to be an interstellar body 3I/ATLAS cutting through space like a metallic mothership.

The post then alleges that news sources in Spain announced that NASA had 'secretly activated the Planetary Defense Protocol', a mechanism designed to address threats from asteroids or potential contact with life beyond Earth. The user further mentioned that the body was 'rotating with precision... structured... intelligent'' indicating the object might not be a naturally occurring mass.

Reality Checks Dismiss the 'Off-World Vessel' Idea

Reader-added context beneath the post quickly proved these statements false. Based on details provided by NASA and BBC Sky at Night Magazine, 3I/ATLAS — which is formally the third known interstellar body following 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov — is a type of comet, and not a spacecraft from another planet.

NASA characterises 3I/ATLAS as a 'faint, icy body travelling on a hyperbolic trajectory', which temporarily appears within the inner Solar System before heading back into the vast space between stars. The object was initially picked up by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) programme earlier in the present year.

Official Commentary on the Object's Behaviour

NASA's Solar System website clarifies 'the comet clearly originates from outside our solar system and poses no threat to Earth and will remain far away'.

Independent sources have not checked the footage included with the widely circulated update. According to Sky at Night Magazine, the first photographs of 3I/ATLAS were considered the 'deepest and best' observations available at the time, and more powerful telescopes — such as Hubble and Webb — have since provided sharper views of the comet.

Absence of Official Defence Protocol Records

There is, similarly, no documentation confirming that NASA began the procedures of its Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) concerning 3I/ATLAS. The PDCO's core responsibility is to track objects close to Earth that could pose a collision risk, yet no warnings, updates, or formal announcements have been issued about this specific comet.

The Spanish news source mentioned in the X post, specifically TV Azteca Laguna, appear to have published unconfirmed social media content, and no major Spanish or American news organisations have confirmed the assertions regarding NASA's emergency response.

Celestial Guests Frequently Misunderstood

The debate surrounding 3I/ATLAS is similar to previous discussions concerning 'Oumuamua', the initial interstellar body recorded when it was found in 2017. That long, spinning mass of rock also prompted widespread speculation that it came from alien sources because of its distinctive form and movement — assertions that scientists later rejected, confirming it as a natural occurrence.

While the viral video and the associated imaginative assertions have captured the attention of social media users, there is absolutely no proof that 3I/ATLAS is artificial or that NASA has implemented any protective actions. Specialists confirm that the object is acting like a standard comet originating outside our Solar System — a find that is remarkable, but causes no need for alarm.

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