3I/ATLAS: Harvard Astrophysicist Avi Loeb Proposes 'Technological Signature' | Quick Digest

3I/ATLAS: Harvard Astrophysicist Avi Loeb Proposes 'Technological Signature' | Quick Digest
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggests the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS exhibits three mini-jets at 120-degree separation, visible in processed Hubble images, which he questions could be a 'technological signature.' While observations confirm the unusual jet geometry, the broader scientific community primarily views 3I/ATLAS as a highly anomalous natural comet.

Hubble images reveal three mini-jets from 3I/ATLAS, separated by 120 degrees.

Avi Loeb questions if this precise geometry indicates a 'technological signature'.

Scientists generally consider 3I/ATLAS an unusual natural comet, despite anomalies.

Breakthrough Listen program found no alien radio signals from 3I/ATLAS.

3I/ATLAS displays other anomalies like anti-tail jets and unusual composition.

Loeb's interpretations often spark debate within the astronomical community.

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has proposed that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS displays features that could hint at a 'technological signature,' specifically citing processed Hubble Space Telescope images from late 2025 and early 2026. These images, when run through a Larson-Sekanina rotational gradient filter, reveal three distinct mini-jets emerging from the object, precisely separated by 120 degrees. This configuration has been described as rarely seen in natural celestial bodies and 'astounding' by Loeb and his colleagues. Loeb's article, published on Medium, raises the question of whether such symmetric jets could indicate active technology, challenging the conventional understanding of cometary behavior. He suggests that a 120-degree angular spacing might be a minimum viable configuration for propulsion devices to re-orient an object in three-dimensional space, similar to human-made satellite thrusters. This adds to a growing list of 'anomalies' Loeb has associated with 3I/ATLAS, including an anti-tail jet pointing towards the Sun, an unusual chemical composition rich in nickel, and extreme negative polarization. However, the broader scientific community largely maintains that 3I/ATLAS is a natural, albeit highly unusual, comet. While acknowledging the intriguing nature of the observations, experts typically seek natural explanations before considering extraterrestrial technology. For instance, the Breakthrough Listen program conducted extensive radio searches for technosignatures from 3I/ATLAS but found no evidence of alien signals, reinforcing its classification as a natural cosmic body. Loeb's prior claims about other interstellar objects like 'Oumuamua have also been met with skepticism and often debunked by outside researchers. The existence of the observed jet structures is largely accepted, but the interpretation of them as a 'technological signature' remains a highly speculative hypothesis primarily championed by Avi Loeb.
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