Is it aliens? Here’s why that’s the least important question about 3I/ATLAS.
On October 29, Comet 3I/ATLAS reached its closest point to the sun.
This point, known as perihelion, was around 210 million kilometers from the sunor 1.4 times the distance between the sun and Earthand it was on the opposite side of the sun to Earth. This means the sun had been blocking the comet from our view (from Earth). Now, ground telescopes have begun watching it again.When it was first detected on July 1 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial Last Alert System (or "ATLAS"), one of the first questions people asked was "but is it aliens?".
This isn't the first time the alien question has come up in the context of a new astronomical discovery. But although it might be fun, it can also detract from the real (and very cool) science, and fuel misinformation.A long history...
