3IATLAS: Why NASA Is Treating This Object Unlike Any Other Comet?

For decades, we have tracked countless comets streaking across our solar system. Yet, one object has recently captured the attention of NASA scientists in a way that sets it completely apart. Known as 3I/ATLAS, this celestial traveller is receiving treatment unlike any other icy body, prompting the question: Why is NASA approaching 3I/ATLAS in this unprecedented manner?

NASA plans to release fresh images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, allowing people to view one of the least-seen travellers in our solar system up close. Found by the ATLAS observatory earlier this year, this comet is only the third verified celestial body known to have reached our solar system from another part of the Milky Way galaxy.

Its path has guided it close enough for various NASA programmes to observe it in depth, even though it presents no danger to Earth.

Revealing 3I/ATLAS: The Live Broadcast

NASA's Tiernan P. Doyle used a blog post to announce that the agency plans to broadcast a live event on its leading platforms. During this event, experts will detail how telescopes on the ground and various spacecraft recorded the comet's actions as it journeyed through our local space.

An announcement from NASA Solar System on X (previously Twitter) confirms that the agency will reveal stunning new pictures of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in a live broadcast, scheduled for Wednesday, 19 November, at 3 p.m. EST.

The live show will be hosted at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. It will feature visual information collected by several of the agency's missions in space and on Earth. It is anticipated that the gathering will provide new scientific insights into one of the rarest types of objects to enter our solar system.

This leads us directly to the question at the heart of the matter: Why is NASA approaching 3I/ATLAS so differently from a regular comet? This key observation was recently raised by a user on X, prompting a range of likely explanations.

READ MORE: Harvard's Avi Loeb Claims 3I/ATLAS Could Be 'Artificial' If No Gas Cloud Seen

READ MORE: 3I/ATLAS Survived Perihelion as Single Body — Harvard's Loeb Questions Its Origin

The Peculiar Treatment of an Interstellar Visitor

A post on X by user Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) shared an image of 3I/ATLAS with the caption: 'NASA is going live tomorrow to reveal the first ever high resolution images of interstellar object #3IATLAS.' The same user then observed: 'NASA doesn't treat comets this way, This one is different.'

This observation sparked a discussion in the replies, with several possible reasons being put forward. The first response came from X user NMSI - Oscillating Physics, who noted: 'Absolutely , NASA does not convene live briefings for standard comets.'

NMSI - Oscillating Physics went on to highlight that gathering various missions and sharing high-resolution pictures live strongly indicates that 3I/ATLAS is acting in ways that break the rules of typical comet physics.

The X user concluded that, regardless of its origin, this object is not getting the typical treatment of an icy visitor. Everything about it is different—from its jet shape to its mass, timing, and internal stability—and NASA is clearly aware of this distinction.

'Tomorrow's reveal isn't business as usual. It's the beginning of real answers,' the X user added.

Thaddeus Gutierrez (@Fulguritics), another user, suggested the unusual approach is due to a significant portion of earlier information being highly inaccurate. He noted that many are reluctant to update their opinions, but the current path is likely to be very different from the initial predictions.

Regardless of the reason behind the comet's unique treatment, details regarding the upcoming live broadcast are now available. Here is information on how to view NASA's reveal.

READ MORE: Avi Loeb Calculates 3I/ATLAS is One in 100 Million Chance of Being Natural

READ MORE: 3I/ATLAS Loses Comet-Like Tail and Gains Rounded Form — Experts Urge Careful Analysis

Don't Miss It: How to Watch the Live Event

The live event will be broadcast on multiple platforms to ensure that people worldwide can easily access it. The stream will be available through NASA+, the NASA mobile application, the agency's main website, its YouTube channel, and Amazon Prime.

The broadcast is designed to offer a captivating and descriptive overview of the comet's features, while also providing answers to queries sent in by the audience. Members of the media can participate by using the hashtag #AskNASA on their social channels. Some questions may be chosen and addressed live during the broadcast.

Who Is Speaking: Key Briefing Participants

Journalists who wish to attend remotely must submit their name, professional affiliation, email address, and phone number at least two hours before the event's start.

Several senior NASA leaders are scheduled to participate in the briefing to explain the pictures and their meaning for science.

• NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya will be on hand to provide a high-level overview of NASA's specific involvement in this mission.
• Nicky Fox, who leads NASA's Science Mission Directorate, will discuss the research objectives related to observing 3I/ATLAS.
• Shawn Domagal Goldman, the acting head of the Astrophysics Division, will clarify how interstellar comets help us learn more about the universe beyond our solar system.
• Tom Statler, the lead scientist for small bodies in the solar system, will detail why 3I/ATLAS differs significantly from a standard comet.

Working together, their knowledge will help the audience understand the differences between interstellar objects and local comets, and demonstrate why their study advances our understanding of how planets form and galaxies evolve.