TYB
As of October 23, 2025, interstellar object 3I/ATLAS—the third known visitor from beyond our solar system—is currently on the far side of the Sun, approaching its perihelion (closest point to the Sun) on October 29, 2025 at a distance of about 1.4 astronomical units (210 million kilometers) from the Sun.
https://www.livescience.com/space/comets/new-images-of-interstellar-object-3i-atlas-show-giant-jet-shooting-toward-the-sun
https://economictimes.com/news/international/us/where-will-3i/atlas-be-on-october-29-interstellar-comets-closest-point-to-the-sun-is-all-details-here-astronomers-mars-telescopes-discovery-origin-atlas-telescope-esa-nasa-unique-characteristics/articleshow/124773865.cms
https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/comets/3i-atlas/
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Controversy and Alien Speculation
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has attracted attention by suggesting 3I/ATLAS could, in theory, be an artificial “mothership” conducting a solar maneuver, a speculation he admits remains a remote possibility. NASA scientist Tom Statler responded that all evidence strongly supports a natural comet explanation, showing no signs of alien technology
https://www.iflscience.com/alien-mothership-hypothesis-about-to-have-key-test-as-interstellar-object-3iatlas-hits-solar-conjunction-and-perihelion-81248
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NASA and Planetary Defense Response
NASA and the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) have reportedly initiated a new planetary defense exercise, using 3I/ATLAS as a test case for interstellar tracking protocols. The initiative follows detections of a nickel-rich plume without iron, an unusual feature that defies known comet patterns, spurring heightened interest among researchers.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/23/science/interplanetary-defense-system-deployed-by-nasa-back-researchers/