Comet Comet
NASA Hubble Space Telescope/Unsplash

Avi Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist, has been openly criticising the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for allegedly hiding high-resolution images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. He said these images are crucial in identifying what the object really is, but the space agency is refusing to release them to the public.

Loeb said these are the best images captured by the HiRISE camera on 2 October 2025 when 3I/ATLAS made a close approach to Mars. However, NASA has not made them publicly available despite his repeated requests.

Shutdown or Secrecy? Loeb Points to Bureaucratic Failures

According to Loeb, NASA has blamed the US government shutdown to justify keeping the images under wraps, but he believes the agency is using it as an excuse for the holdup. Likewise, he thinks the shutdown reasoning is more of a politically convenient explanation to withhold critical scientific information.

He argues that instead of 'prioritising science over bureaucracy,' NASA has allowed red tape to stall the release of data at a pivotal moment in the study of 3I/ATLAS. Loeb warned that this is preventing researchers from making timely discoveries.

The astronomer further emphasised that the missing HiRISE images can offer a spatial resolution three times sharper than the best publicly available Hubble images. These images could give scientists fresh insights into the true nature of 3I/ATLAS, potentially revealing not only the precise size and shape of its nucleus but also providing valuable details about the structure and unusual orientation of its anomalous tail, which has baffled astronomers and challenged conventional understanding of comet behaviour.

'The HiRISE images were held hostage for bureaucratic reasons at NASA, as a result of the government shutdown for 43 days so far,' Loeb said.

READ MORE: 3I/ATLAS Catastrophe: Elon Musk's Warning on Joe Rogan's Podcast - Earth in Grave Danger If Comet Hits

3I/ATLAS: Is NASA Hiding Alien Evidence? Why Avi Loeb, Congress Are Demanding Interstellar Data Release

NASA Allegedly Preparing to Reveal Highest‑Resolution Images of 3I/ATLAS

In the latest update, the Harvard professor revealed that NASA is now preparing to release those high‑resolution images of 3I/ATLAS. These images are expected to surpass earlier views captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in July.

'Multiple sources informed me today that NASA is expected to release the HiRISE images of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS within a few days from today, November 14, 2025,' Loeb wrote on his post on Medium. 'This is excellent news.'

He added, 'We are curious to know the diameter of the nucleus and understand the geometry of the anti-tail from 3I/ATLAS towards the Sun.'

READ MORE: 3I/ATLAS Exploded Near the Sun? Avi Loeb Shocking Claims Include Mysterious Jets, Alien Link

What the Upcoming Images Could Reveal

With the release of the HiRISE images expected in the coming days, scientists are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to investigate 3I/ATLAS in detail and find answers to key questions and long-standing mysteries surrounding the interstellar object.

Researchers are hoping to determine whether its activity patterns, including the unusual orientation of its tail and any jets of gas or dust, conform to the behaviour typically seen in comets from our solar system, or whether the object exhibits anomalies that could hint at a more foreign, even potentially of 'alien' origin. Finally, the high-resolution imagery could allow astronomers to closely study its surface, composition, and structural features, offering insights that have never before been possible for an interstellar visitor of this scale.

Writer's pick
NASA