Hubble Image Shows 3I/ATLAS Exhibiting Sustained Activity That Defies Comet Breakdown Models

That leaves a third category increasingly discussed in astrobiology and planetary science: complex, self-regulating natural structures.

Some researchers have explored the concept of “living rock” systems — not living in the biological sense of cells or organisms, but as chemically active, self-maintaining mineral structures capable of responding to environmental energy inputs. On Earth, examples include extremophile-host minerals, self-organizing crystal systems, and catalytically active rocks that sustain internal reactions over long periods. Importantly, these systems are natural and non-sentient, yet capable of behaviors that mimic regulation.

Nothing in this image proves such a mechanism is at work. However, the sustained luminosity, controlled jet geometry, and resistance to structural breakdown are consistent with an object whose internal composition actively manages energy rather than passively shedding it. This would place 3I/ATLAS in a category distinct from rubble-pile comets or fragile icy bodies.