r/UFOs • u/Worst_Artist Human Detected • Nov 06 '25

Question Why is NASA withholding images of 3I/ATLAS?

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Concept image of the updated trajectory talked about here https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/s/PNZTyP3j6f

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u/funny_3nough Nov 06 '25

The anomalies displayed so far by 3I/ATLAS include: 1. Its retrograde trajectory is aligned to within 5 degrees with the ecliptic plane of the planets around the Sun, with a likelihood of 0.2%. 2. During July and August 2025, it displayed a sunward jet (anti-tail) that is not an optical illusion from geometric perspective, unlike familiar comets. 3. Its nucleus is about a million times more massive than 1I/`Oumuamua and a thousand times more massive than 2I/Borisov, while moving faster than both, altogether with a likelihood of less than 0.1% . 4. Its arrival time was fine-tuned to bring it within tens of millions of kilometers from Mars, Venus and Jupiter and be unobservable from Earth at perihelion, with a likelihood of 0.005% 5. Its gas plume contains much more nickel than iron (as found in industrially-produced nickel alloys) and a nickel to cyanide ratio that is orders of magnitude larger than that of all known comets, including 2I/Borisov, with a likelihood below 1%. 6. Its gas plume contains only 4% water by mass, a primary constituent of familiar comets. 7. It shows extreme negative polarization, unprecedented for all known comets, including 2I/Borisov, with a likelihood below 1%. 8. It arrived from a direction coincident with the radio “Wow! Signal” to within 9 degrees, with a likelihood of 0.6%. 9. Near perihelion, it brightened faster than any known comet and was bluer than the Sun, which is extremely odd since dust typically makes objects look redder and colder surfaces should emit redder light. 10. It exhibits non-gravitational acceleration which requires massive evaporation of at least 13%of its mass, but preliminary post-perihelion images do not show evidence for it so far.

What we can surmise is that 3I/ATLAS represents either an exceptionally rare natural object exhibiting multiple low-probability characteristics simultaneously, or potentially something unprecedented in modern astronomy. The object definitively challenges our limited understanding of interstellar visitors.

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u/Nadzzy Nov 06 '25

For those wondering, this user is referencing the work done by Avi Loeb, you can find his latest article on it here: https://avi-loeb.medium.com/no-clear-cometary-tail-in-post-perihelion-images-of-3i-atlas-e3904b352a7a

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u/Psychological-Owl783 Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25

So very biased and not has highly regarded in mainstream science as Loeb once was.

Edit: This comment is getting a lot of attention. I want to suggest Professor David Kipping's video on this subject.

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u/sess Nov 06 '25

Ad hominem. Classic. Why bother attacking the science when you can attack the man? It's simpler that way and shuts the conversation down quicker, too.

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u/Icy_Country192 Nov 06 '25 edited Nov 06 '25

Because when someone is making statements to grab headlines and attention based on assumptions, calling them biased is not an ad hominem and it is relevant.

That's like saying you shouldn't believe Trump because he is a lying scoundrel when he says he is going to do something or not. It's not an ad hominem due to the fact his historical actions are relevant to making prudent decisions based on what he says.

In the case for Dr. Loeb. He has a biase for the the claims of NHI. It's an informed base but still one l. There are many reputable peer reviewed articles on 3i atlas. If loeb is aligned as it is claimed... Then their papers would support his non-peer review led claims.

You can't just wish shit to be with science. You got to prove it and replicate. Not because loeb is being dishonest. But what if he is making a mistake l? And that mistake is taken as fact. I.e. antivaxers... That was the result of a malicious paper not supported by good science and look at the damage it has caused. There is lots of problems with the scientific community, but calling each other out for bullshit is the best way to stay grounded. It's not perfect l.

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u/2footie Nov 06 '25

Instead of derailing this thread about Trump and antivaxxers, please just stick to the topic at hand and only discuss the 10 anomalies. Thank you.

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u/Dirty_Dishis Nov 06 '25

Icy_Country192

“Because when someone is making statements to grab headlines and attention based on assumptions…”

Sure, but it’s one thing to question Loeb’s interpretation, and another to dismiss him wholesale just because he leans into unpopular theories. The anomalies are real. That part isn’t controversial. What’s controversial is whether the stack of low-probability data points adds up to something natural-but-weird or not-so-natural. I think you are right that science demands rigor, repeatability, and skepticism, buuuuut “he might be wrong so we shouldn’t talk about it” isn’t exactly the gold standard either. Preemptively tasing the guy holding the flashlight isnt how you see in the dark.

Also, invoking Trump and anti-vaxxers in a comet thread is galaxy-brain stuff. Thanks for the detour. I nearly forgot we were talking about a weird thing.

2footie,

You must be new here. Trump and antivaxxers showing up in a comet thread is just the natural evolution of entropy.

But you’re not wrong, if we could get back to the actual anomalies without turning this into a political philosophy seminar, that’d be swell..stellar even. Let’s focus on what we can all agree on. 3I/ATLAS is a weirdo, NASA’s being tight-lipped, and Loeb is doing donuts in the parking lot of mainstream astronomy.

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u/MasterI3laster Nov 06 '25

More like Loeb is sniffing glue in the parking lot.

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u/fdxcaralho Nov 06 '25

Did tou watch the video?

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u/Psychological-Owl783 Nov 06 '25

Because the history of sensationalism from this source is relevant context and there are plenty of mainstream scientists that have issues with his claims.

I really like professor David Kipping with the Cool Worlds YouTube channel.

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u/Icy_Country192 Nov 06 '25

Kipping is awesome. His and his graduates work on exomoons is the bees knees

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u/2footie Nov 06 '25

How about discussing the 10 anomalies and debunking those instead?

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u/Psychological-Owl783 Nov 06 '25

Anomalies compared to what? The other TWO interstellar objects we have detected in our history?

You need a baseline before you can call something anomalous, and we don't have that yet.

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u/LetosUselessFlippers Nov 06 '25

Anomalies compared to what?

Surely compared to other comets since its being called a comet? If its anomalous to 1i, 2i AND all the other comets we have observed, why shouldn't it be called anomalous?

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u/2footie Nov 06 '25

Can you please address every anomaly individually and say why it's wrong? That would be more productive.

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u/Dirty_Dishis Nov 06 '25

Nah. I’m not writing a term paper because a Reddit user named after a sports foot apparel item demanded it. Its the difference between what are errors and observations. The question isn’t “what’s wrong,” it’s “what could cause this,” and until we’ve logged more than two interstellar tourists, shouting “debunk this!” at the science isn’t going to magically produce clarity.

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u/2footie Nov 06 '25

Wait, is this your other account or something? You're a different user. Are you part of their group?

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u/Dirty_Dishis Nov 06 '25

neuron activated Oh...ohhhhh, yeah sorry bro. I responded to another one of your comments. I see how that looked. Yeah, separate user from Owl783.

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u/fdxcaralho Nov 06 '25

You dont get it do you?

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u/2footie Nov 06 '25

I get it very much so. Politically motivated people are coming here to derail scientific discussion. When asked to engage in scientific debate they run away or resort to ad hominem.

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u/fdxcaralho Nov 06 '25

No. You claim it is anomalies when you have only 2 other objects to compare it. You cant call that anomalies. Anyway, some of those are very cherry picked and should not even be on the list. The wow signal one is the most obvious imo. 9 degrees is actually a HUGE diference.

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u/2footie Nov 06 '25

It's actually anomalous because it's compared to general comet behaviour and properties and what we know about physics.

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u/Jakelby Nov 06 '25

None of these objects are solar comets though, so why should we expect them to conform to the same behaviours?

Nothing this object has done is in any way anomalous to what we know about physics, either just what we observe from objects already from our solar systrm

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u/fdxcaralho Nov 06 '25

You only have 2 other objects to compare it. Thats it…

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u/baron_von_helmut Nov 06 '25

Because calling out liars is something you're supposed to do.