Public forums discussing the mystery of 31/ATLAS often frame this tension as binary—natural versus artificial—when in reality the scientific question is far more nuanced.
Geometry Tricks and the Anti-Tail Debate
Images revealing a pronounced anti-tail have fueled speculation. Anti-tails occur when Earth passes through a comet’s dust plane, creating the illusion of material pointing sunward. Analysts argue that 31/ATLAS happens to be caught in a uniquely precise alignment.
As one researcher noted, “Change the viewing angle, and much of the mystery disappears.” Still, critics argue that the improbability of such alignment contributes to the perception of intentionality.
X-Ray Emissions and Instrumental Stress Tests
X-ray observations tied to XRISM have emerged as one of the most technically important anomalies. While cometary X-rays are known phenomena, the spectrum associated with 31/ATLAS appears unusually intense.
Researchers are now testing whether charge exchange between solar wind ions and cometary gases fully explains the signal or whether background effects are skewing results. XRISM mission details are available here: https://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sas/xrism/
Heartbeat Signals and Radio Mysteries
Adding to the intrigue are reports of a repeating, heartbeat-like signal and sharp radio bursts linked to the comet’s approach. Astronomers caution that periodicity alone does not imply intent.
