Sorting Signal From Speculation
NASA has firmly rejected claims that 31/ATLAS is an alien spacecraft, reiterating that its coma, nucleus, and activity are consistent with natural processes. Official statements are available via NASA’s planetary science portal: https://science.nasa.gov
Behind the headlines, teams are carefully separating genuine anomalies from observational bias. As critics note, “If you look at enough comets, some will always appear exceptional in hindsight.” Whether 31/ATLAS ultimately reshapes comet science or simply expands its margins, it is already forcing scientists to sharpen both their instruments and their skepticism.
