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Scientist Puzzled by “Symmetric Jet Structure” on 3I/ATLAS

Victor Tangermann

created: Jan. 2, 2026, 4:57 p.m. | updated: Jan. 12, 2026, 5:06 p.m.

It may have made its closest approach to Earth last month, but the mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS continues to fascinate astronomers as it now careens back out of the solar system, never to be seen again. Recent observations by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have caught the attention of Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb. “Are the symmetric triple-jet inner structure or the unlikely alignment of the rotation axis with the direction of the Sun, technological signatures?” Loeb concluded. “Unlike 1I/’Oumuamua, 3I/ATLAS exhibits mostly typical cometary characteristics, including a coma and an unelongated nucleus,” the researchers wrote. More on 3I/ATLAS: Scientists Say They’ve Found Another Anomaly About 3I/ATLAS

1 month, 1 week ago: Futurism