The Shutdown’s Astronomical Impact
Complicating matters is the political backdrop. On October 1, the U.S. government entered a shutdown that furloughed more than 15,000 NASA employees—83% of its workforce. Since then, the agency has offered no updates, no press briefings, and no technical data on 3I/ATLAS, even as the interstellar visitor reached its closest approach to Mars.
The timing could not be worse. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb and other scientists have been calling for maximum observation during this period, warning that perihelion—the point of closest approach to the sun—could reveal new data about whether 3I/ATLAS behaves like a natural comet or something stranger.
Instead, silence reigns. With NASA’s communication channels frozen by the shutdown, the public is turning to backyard astronomers and independent observatories to fill the gap.
A YouTuber Steps Into the Spotlight
Dobsonian Power’s footage, posted across multiple platforms, carries both promise and peril. On one hand, it provides desperately needed real-time tracking of 3I/ATLAS. On the other, it fuels a storm of speculation that risks spiraling beyond scientific control.
Dobsonian Power said in his latest video, that the images he captured are true and correct. He explained that he tracked 3I/ATLAS using the same coordinates as major observatories and categorically denied that the images were AI-generated.
For many, his credibility hinges on transparency. Amateur astronomers have historically played critical roles in tracking comets, asteroids, and even near-Earth objects missed by larger agencies. In the absence of NASA, many see YouTubers like him as essential to citizen science.
But for skeptics, questions remain: could the apparent “structure” simply be an artifact of imaging, a misinterpretation of light scattering through the telescope? Without corroboration from NASA or professional observatories, the debate remains unresolved.
