31/ATLAS, Jupiter, and Perihelion: Scientists Race to Decode Interstellar “Heartbeat” Ahead of Its Close Approach
America ı By Jackie Allen
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The mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS — referred to in recent discussions as 31/ATLAS — is drawing global attention as it speeds toward its closest pass to Earth and its post-perihelion evolution.
Expected to come within just 170 million miles on December 19, the object is providing astronomers with a rare opportunity to study an interstellar visitor just weeks after its perihelion, with new debates emerging about whether its strange “heartbeat” pulses could be natural or technological. And with some scientists even exploring whether its passage may lead to new objects appearing around Jupiter, the stakes have never been higher.
A Strange Pulse from the Deep: The 16.16-Hour “Heartbeat.”
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb recently highlighted new findings about 31/ATLAS, including an unusual “heartbeat” light curve observed by multiple ground-based telescopes. A major paper published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics in October reported that the object emits a repeating light pulse every 16.16 hours, forming a rhythmic beacon that caught the attention of comet researchers and extraterrestrial-technology theorists alike.
The researchers concluded:
“Overall, 3I shows characteristics typical of weakly active outer Solar System comets, despite its interstellar origin.”
31/ATLAS Heartbeat Pattern
But they also stressed the importance of ongoing study:
“Continued monitoring around perihelion is necessary to track changes in activity… which will provide insights into the evolution of interstellar materials under solar radiation.”
Loeb, however, notes that the pattern resembles a rotating comet’s active regions—or possibly something engineered.
“This heartbeat pattern… can resemble a heartbeat with a puff of gas and dust… over the rotation period of 16.16 hours,” he wrote.
Cometary Jet or Technological Beacon?
One key clue lies in 31/ATLAS’s anti-tail, a reversed-looking stream believed to be the result of trapped ice pockets that release material only when facing the Sun.
Loeb explains:
“As a result, the coma will get pumped up every time the ice pocket is facing the Sun.”
But he also leaves room for another possibility:
“For a technological object, the direction of the pulsing jet could be arbitrary and not necessarily pointing towards the Sun.”
Determining whether its jets align consistently with sunlight—or with something else—will help scientists decide which explanation makes more sense.
NASA Denies “Alien Craft” Claims After New Images of 31/ATLAS
NASA released long-awaited new images of 31/ATLAS after more than a month of partial shutdown. During the livestream, officials worked to dispel the idea that the interstellar traveler might be an alien mothership, directly addressing Loeb’s public claims.
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