From ‘Oumuamua to Borisov, everything seemed clear. Now 3I/ATLAS arrives with unprecedented signals pointing to an unexpected origin as interstellar technology.
Each new interstellar visitor has left more questions than answers. First, there was ‘Oumuamua, with its mysterious acceleration. Then Borisov, which behaved like an ordinary comet. Now arrives with a repertoire of oddities that place it on unprecedented ground. An object that, according to the latest studies,
A polarization that shouldn’t exist
detected something unprecedented: an extremely deep negative polarization of -2.77% at a phase angle of 6.41 degrees, with an inversion angle as low as 17.05 degrees. In astronomy, polarization mirrors composition and shape, and in this case, it indicates something unlike anything seen before.
in the first piece of a still unnamed category. While other bodies fit into patterns of high or low polarization, this object breaks the classification and becomes a unique case in astronomical records.
A trajectory and chemistry that befuddle
The mystery is not limited to light. aligns with the plane of the ecliptic with a deviation of just five degrees, a statistically improbable coincidence of one in 500. This geometry has dangerously brought it close to Mars, Venus, and Jupiter, as if it had followed a calculated course.
Chemically, it also does not fit the expected. . The surprising presence of nickel without iron—an alloy rare in nature but common in industrial processes—alongside increasing cyanide as it approaches the Sun.
Science, mystery, and the shadow of technology
The set of anomalies reignites the debate that already ignited : are we facing extraordinary natural objects or signs of interstellar technology? Researchers insist on caution until more data is available. On October 3, the HiRISE camera of the Martian orbiter will capture images of with enough resolution to determine the size of its nucleus.
Until then, the scientific community oscillates between fascination and caution. Like in a detective story, each new measurement could debunk hypotheses or open unexpected doors.
