Unmasking the myths around 3I/ATLAS – visibility, 'anomalies', truth behind the hype: What to expect on October 29, 2025
Why comet 3I/ATLAS sparked so much controversy: What if it is "something else"?
Q: What is 3I/ATLAS, and why has it sparked so much controversy in October 2025?
A: 3I/ATLAS (also known as C/2025 N1 ATLAS) is the third confirmed interstellar comet to visit our solar system, discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS telescope in Chile.
Unlike solar system comets bound by the Sun's gravity, it follows a “hyperbolic” trajectory, entering from interstellar space at high speed (around 68 km/s) and exiting without orbiting.
It’s about 14-20 km in diameter (about the size of Manhattan in New York), with a reddish coma from dust and organic compounds like tholins.
Controversy stems from claims of “anomalous” behaviour — trajectory shifts, unusual brightness, and a supposed cover-up during its solar passage — fuelled by social media and figures like Avi Loeb, who speculate it could be artificial.
However, mainstream astronomy attributes these to natural cometary outgassing and non-gravitational forces from “ice sublimation”.
Q: Was 3I/ATLAS really supposed to be completely hidden behind the Sun on October 29, 2025, during perihelion, and has that narrative been debunked?
A: No, the idea of it being “completely hidden” during perihelion (closest approach to the Sun at 1.356 AU on October 29, 2025, at 11:36 UTC) is a misrepresentation.
It reached solar conjunction — appearing directly behind the Sun from Earth's view — on October 21, 2025, making it temporarily unobservable from Earth due to glare (within 10° solar elongation).
By October 25 (as claimed in some posts), it was emerging, visible in Virgo near Spica and Venus with telescopes (magnitude ~15).
At perihelion, it remains observable with moderate equipment (6-inch aperture minimum) at low elongation (12° from the Sun), especially from equatorial sites just after sunset.
Claims of a “lie” ignore that conjunction was earlier; perihelion isn’t total occultation. No credible evidence supports deliberate hiding — it’s standard for objects in this geometry.
Q: What did the October 25, 2025, telescope observations reportedly show, and do they prove 3I/ATLAS is “next to” rather than “behind” the Sun?
A: Reports from independent observers (like "EarthExists", and "3IAtlas_Anomaly") claimed direct imaging at 13:25 local time: RA 13h 38m 44.9s, Dec -07° 40' 32.5", distance 2.34 AU, magnitude 15.00, in Virgo with the Sun in the same wide-field frame (angular separation measurable, Spica and Venus for reference).
A zoomed view allegedly showed a distinct core and coma. This aligns with JPL Horizons data: on October 25, it was ~204 million km from the Sun, post-conjunction, and visible alongside the Sun (not behind).
However, these aren't "anomalies" — most astronomers explained that post-conjunction visibility is expected.
Brightness was slightly dimmer than predicted (15.00 vs. ~14.76), but consistent with variable outgassing.
No peer-reviewed images confirm "engineered" shifts; it’s natural post-conjunction recovery.
Q: What trajectory and brightness anomalies have been documented for 3I/ATLAS between October 21-25, 2025, and what do they really mean?
A: Observations noted:
October 21 (00:12 UTC): RA 13h 47m 54.3s (15.4 arcmin ahead of JPL prediction); later at 19:05 UTC, gap widened to 10.5 arcmin at 0.23 arcmin/hour.
October 23 (15:20 UTC): RA 13h 42m 41s, magnitude 15.04 (26% dimmer than predicted 14.78), implying ~3.95 km/s lateral velocity.
October 25 (13:25 UTC): RA shift of 3m 56s in 48 hours (accelerating angular velocity), Dec +17.7 arcmin northward, distance -0.02 AU, magnitude +0.04 (brighter, exceeding inverse-square prediction by 2x).
| Date/Time (UTC) | RA (Observed) | Dec (Observed) | Distance (AU) | Magnitude (Observed) | JPL Predicted Mag. | Discrepancy Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 21, 00:12 | 13h 47m 54.3s | N/A | ~2.37 | N/A | N/A | 15.4 arcmin ahead |
| Oct 21, 19:05 | 13h 46m 20.4s | N/A | ~2.37 | N/A | ~14.8 | Gap 10.5 arcmin |
| Oct 23, 15:20 | 13h 42m 41s | -07° 58' 17" | 2.36 | 15.04 | 14.78 | 26% dimmer |
| Oct 25, 13:25 | 13h 38m 44.9s | -07° 40' 32.5" | 2.34 | 15.00 | ~14.76 | 0.22 mag dimmer; faster RA shift |
These suggest non-gravitational acceleration (e.g., from CO2 jets), common in comets like 2I/Borisov.
Dimming despite approach indicates uneven outgassing, not “controlled emissions”.
So far, no X-ray excess or geometric coma patterns confirm artificiality — brightness follows ~inverse-square with variability.
Q: Why do some claim 3I/ATLAS is undergoing unnatural acceleration or manoeuvres, and is there evidence of this continuing to perihelion?
A: Claims cite "increasing angular velocity" and excess brightening as "conscious acts," implying ~3.95 km/s lateral thrust. But comets often show such from asymmetric gas jets (e.g., 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko).
Angular velocity specifically refers to the rate of change of the angle of its orbital path, which is linked to its linear speed. An increasing angular velocity for comet 3I/ATLAS means it is speeding up as it gets closer to the Sun.
However, unlike objects in a bound, elliptical orbit, 3I/ATLAS — as the interstellar comet — is following an unbound, "hyperbolic" path through our solar system.
This means its speed is so high that the Sun's gravity is not strong enough to capture it. It will pass through and then permanently exit our solar system.
As 3I/ATLAS approaches the Sun, the Sun's gravitational pull accelerates it, causing its speed to increase.
Q: When does its speed peak?
Its speed peaks at perihelion, its closest approach to the Sun. 3I/ATLAS was projected to reach its maximum speed of 68 km/s during its perihelion passage around October 29, 2025.
Pre-perihelion data (July-September 2025) from Nordic Optical Telescope showed dust fan to anti-solar tail shifts due to particle dynamics, not reversal. No post-October 25 data shows manoeuvres; speed remains ~68 km/s, trajectory hyperbolic.
Spacecraft like Solar Orbiter or Parker Solar Probe could observe during low-Earth visibility, but none report anomalies.
If artificial, perihelion (optimal for Oberth manoeuvres) would show drastic changes — but there's none predicted or observed yet.
Q: What institutional "responses" (e.g., NASA shutdown, SETI protocols, IAWN) are cited as suspicious around 3I/ATLAS, and what's the real context?
A: October 1: US Government shutdown: Routine budget impasse affected NASA (furloughs, not "silence" on 3I/ATLAS); data sharing continued via JPL.
October 16: SETI Post-Detection Protocols: Revised after 15 years for better global coordination on signals, not a "monopoly"—open to all astronomers.
October 21: IAWN adds 3I/ATLAS to threat list: First for an interstellar object due to unpredictability (comet jets), not threat — triggers November 27, 2025-January 27, 2026 training for astrometry. Mandatory exercise is standard for comets.
These align with routine planetary defense; no evidence of restricting "first contact" discussion. ESA/NASA missions (Juice, Juno) will observe post-perihelion without citizen exclusion.
Q: If 3I/ATLAS is natural, what should we expect at perihelion on October 29, 2025? If it's "something else," what anomalies might appear?
A: Natural expectations: Predictable JPL trajectory; brightness to 11.5 mag from outgassing; symmetric coma/tail from solar heating; no major course changes. Post-perihelion: Passes Venus (0.65 AU) November 3, Earth (1.8 AU) December 19, Jupiter (0.36 AU) March 2026—brighter and trackable.
"Something else" signs (per speculators): Lateral acceleration, controlled emissions (e.g., non-chaotic patterns), trajectory divergence. But probability is low (30-40% per Loeb); data favours natural comet. Witnesses (amateurs, observatories) ensure transparency — no "darkness."
Q: How can amateur astronomers observe and verify 3I/ATLAS independently right now (October 29, 2025)?
A:
Location: Virgo constellation, near Spica (bright reference star).
Position (October 29): RA ~13h 27m, Dec ~ -06° 30' (use JPL Horizons for real-time).
Magnitude: ~14-15 (telescope required; 6-12 inch aperture, dark skies).
Best Time: Early morning pre-sunrise or late evening post-sunset (low solar elongation ~12°—avoid direct Sun pointing to prevent eye damage). Equatorial latitudes ideal.
What to Log: RA/Dec timestamps, magnitude, coma structure (patterns/colors), multi-hour changes.
Compare to JPL predictions at https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html.
Share via forums like Cloudy Nights or Reddit r/Astronomy.
Tools: Stellarium app or finder charts from In-The-Sky.org.
Q: What do the overall "truths" about 3I/ATLAS anomalies and institutional actions reveal, and should we “watch the sky” on October 29?
A: Summarised evidence debunks cover-up:
Trajectory: Offsets from jets, not maneuvres (ecliptic alignment common for interstellar objects).
Brightness: 20-26% dimmer due to large dust grains; no X-ray lack anomaly.
Institutions: Protocols enhance monitoring, not restrict.
Yes, watch Virgo — it’s a rare event.If natural (likely), we’ll see a glowing comet exiting our system. If anomalous, real-time data from global observers will catch it.
No lies, just science unfolding in the light.
Telescopes up; the cosmic window is wide open.
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