China's 3I/ATLAS Footage? Experts Baffled As 'Gigantic' Object Has 'No Tail'

A purported video from the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has ignited a worldwide stir after claiming to show the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS — described as 'gigantic' and apparently lacking a cometary tail.

While online speculation suggests China has 'revealed what NASA hid,' astronomers remain cautious, noting that no verified imagery supports these viral claims.

Still, 3I/ATLAS's odd behaviour — particularly its missing tail — has drawn scientific intrigue unlike anything seen since the discovery of 'Oumuamua.

In late October, several social media posts claimed that China had published high-resolution imagery of 3I/ATLAS, showing a 'gigantic object' with no discernible tail.

However, experts have dismissed the claims due to a lack of verifiable evidence.

According to a report in the International Business Times UK, the narrative that China is 'exposing what NASA hid' has no solid foundation.

What is 3I/ATLAS?

The object was first detected on 1 July by the Asteroid Terrestrial‑impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey telescope in Chile.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has confirmed that 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar visitor, meaning its trajectory is not bound to the Sun's gravity.

Astronomers estimate the solid nucleus of 3I/ATLAS is between about 0.32 km and 5.6 km across. NASA's Hubble-based imagery sets the upper limit at about 5.6 km.

It journeys through space at a velocity of around 60 km/s (roughly 137,000 mph).

The 'No Tail' Mystery

For most comets entering the inner solar system, increasing solar warmth causes ice to sublimate into gas and dust, forming the iconic tail that trails away from the Sun.

But 3I/ATLAS defies many expectations. Despite undergoing its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) at about 1.4 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, it showed only a very weak tail, and at times none that is clearly detectable in the standard sense.

Some commentary by independent astrophysicist Avi Loeb has emphasised that the spectroscopic data do not show clear features expected for atomic or molecular gas in a typical cometary coma.

He described 3I/ATLAS as 'a compact ball of light' and cautioned that the anomaly might stem from unusual composition or process rather than a simple tailless comet.

Expert Caution and Speculative Theories

Although the footage has raised eyebrows, the scientific community remains cautious.

Publications such as Scientific American emphasise that, while several 'big mysteries' surround 3I/ATLAS, the most plausible explanation remains that it is a highly unusual comet from beyond our solar system, rather than something artificial.

Scientists have listed several anomalies that make 3I/ATLAS one of the most perplexing interstellar objects ever observed.

According to researchers, the object has brightened far more rapidly than typical comets travelling at similar distances from the Sun.

Despite approaching perihelion, it continues to show only a faint or nearly invisible tail—an uncommon trait for any comet entering the inner Solar System.

Some astronomers have also reported a possible 'anti-tail' effect, in which dust appears to trail toward the Sun rather than away from it, a phenomenon caused by viewing geometry rather than physical reversal.

Additionally, there are accounts of non-gravitational acceleration and unusual patterns of mass loss that do not fully align with standard comet models.

Together, these irregularities suggest that 3I/ATLAS may be unlike any comet previously recorded, raising questions about its composition, structure and origin beyond the Solar System.

Nonetheless, many astronomers emphasise that observational bias may be at play: the tail could be faint, angled unfavourably to observation, or masked by solar glare and instrumental limits.

The China Factor

The IBTimes UK report explores online claims that China 'revealed what NASA hid' about 3I/ATLAS.

According to the article, neither NASA nor CNSA has formally released new, publicly verified imagery of the object since its Mars flyby phase. The absence of an official data release may reflect standard processing delays in the space science field.

If the Chinese footage is authentic, it would significantly escalate scientific interest in 3I/ATLAS.

Whether genuine or not, the fact that the story has galvanised attention emphasises how this interstellar visitor is defying simple classification.

Why It Matters

For scientists, 3I/ATLAS offers a rare chance to study material that formed around another star system and is now transiting through our Solar System.

The composition, trajectory and behaviour of such interstellar objects may hold clues about planetary formation and the diversity of small-body populations in the galaxy.

Observers expect that 3I/ATLAS will re-emerge from solar glare in December, allowing further ground-based and space-based telescopic analysis.

NASA is continuing to monitor the object via the Hubble Space Telescope and other assets, as part of a coordinated effort.

Until more data are analysed and peer-reviewed, the scientific community remains in watch-and-learn mode rather than concluding anything definitive about the object's origin or nature.

3I/ATLAS remains a cosmic interloper that defies expectations. The alleged Chinese footage adds a geopolitical and speculative twist to the scientific intrigue.

As Scientific American notes, 'The cosmos surprises us most when it refuses to behave the way we expect.' 3I/ATLAS is proving that — one tailless mystery at a time.