3I/ATLAS May Be Hidden Behind a Self-Regulating Dust Veil

That balance matters. If 3I/ATLAS were a conventional comet with a small nucleus, such intense self-shadowing would suppress outgassing and shut the system down. Activity persists, however, implying either a comparatively large nucleus or a configuration that regulates energy flow with unusual efficiency. Either way, the observations challenge standard assumptions about how interstellar objects should behave once exposed to solar heating.

The morphology strengthens that case. The dust is not evenly distributed. Instead, it forms structured jets and regions of reduced flux—areas where less light escapes, producing the appearance of a localized “void.” These features are characteristic of dust-dominated dynamics, not plasma-driven ion tails. Grain sizes inferred from scattering behavior cluster around tens of microns, large enough to resist immediate radiation blow-off and linger close to the source.

What does this mean for observers? Simply put, we are not seeing a solid object. Telescopes resolve a fuzzy photosphere of dust, not rock or ice. Any estimate of the nucleus size or shape remains indirect, filtered through assumptions about albedo, grain composition, and jet geometry. The interior—whatever its nature—stays hidden.