After an epic journey lasting billions of years through deep space, 31/ATLAS made its closest approach to Earth on Friday, December 19, quietly passing by without incident. While some online speculation imagined dramatic encounters, the so-called interstellar anomaly simply continued on its trajectory.
Yet for Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, the object’s flyby did little to settle the debate over what 31/ATLAS truly is.
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A 31/ATLAS Flyby Raises More Questions
According to astronomical observations, 31/ATLAS reached its closest distance to Earth at approximately 268.91 million kilometers (167,092,927 miles).
NASA maintains that the object is a comet exhibiting unusual but natural behavior. However, Loeb has publicly challenged that interpretation, arguing the interstellar anomaly displays characteristics inconsistent with known comets.
Despite the attention, Loeb stresses that the object showed no interest in Earth. “Our popular view is that visitors might show up in our cosmic neighborhood because of their interest in our home,” he wrote on his blog at the Galileo Project. “Well, guess what: if you are late to a party and you are not at the center of the room, the party is not about you.”
Interstellar Anomaly has a Suspicious “Anti-Tail”
Loeb has pointed to a number of features he believes set 31/ATLAS apart. Among them is what he describes as a long, tightly collimated “anti-tail” pointing toward the Sun—an observation he argues is difficult to reconcile with standard comet physics.
