The Gemini South Telescope in Chile has captured the new evidence, discovering the comet nature of the interstellar 3I/ATLAS object with a growing tail.
The new images have fuelled a debate among the scientific community about the true nature of 3I/ATLAS which has been the topic of contention since its first appearance on July 1.
The evidence showed a wide coma of dust and gas surrounding the ice ball as it is hurtling towards the solar system. A growing and more extended tail of the object is more clear than in the previous evidence.
According to the National Space Foundation’s NoirLab, the recent discovery also validates the active nature of 3I/ATLAS as it moves harmlessly through the sun.
In contrast, Harvard professor Avi Loeb has outrightly negated the possibility of 3I/ATLAS being a comet. He cited the object as an alien probe which could be nuclear-powered capable of producing its own light.
Other scientists also believed that the object is comet, thrashing the arguments of 3I/ATLAS being an alien entity
Recently, NASA’s Webb Telescope also unlocked the first-ever secrets of the interstellar object citing the presence of CO2, water ice, carbon monoxide, water, and carbonyl sulfide.
3I/ATLAS was 384 million kilometres from Earth, according to NASA. It is reported that the interstellar object will pass just 30 million kilometres from Mars on October 3. It will make its closest approach to Earth in December.
3I/ATLAS is the third object found hurling towards our solar system. The other two included 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2017 and 2019 respectively.