And all through our Solar System, not an extraterrestrial alien creature was stirring according to today’s best wisdom. But come tomorrow, December 19. 2025, history is about to be rewritten.
It all started this summer when some of our world’s top scientists with some of their newest and best telescopes had computers report to them on an unusual object tracking across the universe seemingly a comet that was not a comet. That is to say, yes, it looked like a comet, but, no, it was not acting like any comet previous.
The 3i/Atlas was detected in July of this year. Initially it was chalked up as just another comet that was going to streak through our Solar System late this year. But then scientists noticed odd anomalies and began to openly debate and even argue as to what it was.
One of the first things I remember reading about was that the object could change speed and course unlike a comet. Another one that intrigued me was that it was making an approach to our Solar System within 5 degrees of coplanar (flat) to our planets orbiting our Sun.
Some of the other known anomalies as of November 29th include the following:
1. Confirmed interstellar origin — It’s on a hyperbolic path from outside our Solar System, never bound by the Sun’s gravity.
2. Massive size — Estimates now suggest 20–25 km, dwarfing previous interstellar visitors like ‘Oumuamua and Borisov.
3. Extreme speed — Traveling at >90 km/s, faster than any known comet or asteroid of similar size.
4. Early water activity — Shows signs of water vapor while still 3.5 AU from the Sun, far earlier than typical comets.
5. CO₂-dominated coma — Unlike usual comets, carbon dioxide drives its activity more than water, an unusual chemical signature.
6. Anti-tail formation — Its “tail” points toward the Sun at times, a rare phenomenon.
7. Erratic brightness — Light curves spike and fade unpredictably, resisting standard comet models.
8. Nickel-rich, iron-poor composition — Spectral data indicates an extremely unusual ratio for a natural Solar System body.
9. Lacks normal gas emissions — Typical cometary gases like CN and C₂ are nearly absent.
10. Unstable rotation — Tumbling or processing with unusual periods, unlike most comets.
11. Irregular shape and density — Observations suggest low bulk density and possibly a flattened or elongated structure.
12. Metallic surface hints — Spectroscopy suggests reflectivity higher than normal cometary ice, hinting at metal-rich regions.
13. Pre-solar heating activity — Shows outgassing before major solar heating, possibly from internal energy or exotic materials.
14. Tiny trajectory deviations — Subtle shifts in path are unexplained by gravity alone, suggesting additional forces.
15. Unique polarization patterns — Light polarization differs from any Solar System comet studied.
16. No dust jets — Despite brightness, no clear collimated jets are observed.
17. Anomalous thermal behavior — Temperature changes don’t match normal ice sublimation models.
18. Strange internal structure — Density and rotation patterns hint at unknown material properties.
19. Possible artificial origin? — Some scientists cautiously discuss non-natural possibilities; still unproven but intriguing.
20. Variable outgassing directions — Jets (where detected) sometimes point sideways, inconsistent with rotation.
21. Coma composition changes rapidly — Sudden shifts in gas ratios over days, unlike typical comets.
22. Slight hyperbolic deflection by planets — Gravitational interactions appear unusually minimal for its mass and trajectory.
23. Mysterious spectral lines — Certain emission lines do not match any known cometary or asteroid materials.
CONCLUSION:
People have been asking me difficult questions such as, “Why aren’t the governments of the world making public announcements about this event such as in the movie ‘Independence Day’?” They are asking me if it is true both NASA and our Pentagon are “freaking out”. Another question, “Should we be afraid?”
First, I would speculate our world governments do not want to trigger global panic for something where we are not even sure what it is we are seeing. And second, just like in the movie “Independence Day”, we might not have a defensive response to this thing if it turned out to be an alien aggressor.
Some of the things we do know are as follows:
- The object is reported to be about the size of Manhattan in New York.
- The object will speed by earth at 130,000 mph.
- It will be a distance of 170 million miles away, roughly twice as far away as the sun.
- At least 10 countries will be cooperatively observing the object including South Africa, Australia, Canada, Chile, Egypt, India, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the U.S.A.
- China’s Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter has successfully observed and photographed the object already.
I think it is wise for us to be prayerful and observant. I think it is foolish for us to get paranoid and panic. Some are saying there is a connection between this alien craft and storms on our Sun. Some are saying these storms are triggering unusual earthquake and volcano activity here on earth. While I suppose anything is possible, this connection would shock me, were it proven true.
For 4 years after I retired as a technology professor I went back to work part-time as a CAD designer doing the vocation I taught my students for 40 years. I worked in the steel industry in Rockford, Illinois. I was so proud to have played a small part in cutting steel parts for the Giant Magellan Telescope now under construction in Chile. That “World’s Most Powerful Telescope” is not to be completed for another five years but I wish it was online today just for 3i/Atlas.
© 2025 by Mark S. Schwendau
