SETI Institute Confirms Interstellar Comet 3I/Atlas is Natural, Not Alien Technology
Comet from beyond our solar system did not have alien technology, scientists say

Image: The Boston Globe
The SETI Institute has confirmed that comet 3I/Atlas, an interstellar object discovered last summer, is entirely natural and devoid of any signs of alien technology. Extensive radio scans revealed no extraterrestrial signals, emphasizing the importance of continuing the search for technosignatures.
- 01Comet 3I/Atlas is only the third known interstellar object, confirmed to be of natural origin.
- 02SETI conducted over seven hours of radio observations, identifying 74 million signals, with only 200 remaining after filtering for human interference.
- 03The closest approach of the comet to Earth was 167 million miles (269 million kilometers) in December.
- 04The comet is estimated to be between 440 feet (134 meters) and 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) in size and could be as old as 11 billion years.
- 05SETI researchers highlight the significance of continuing the search for technosignatures from unexpected sources.
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The SETI Institute has declared that comet 3I/Atlas, an interstellar visitor discovered last summer, poses no evidence of alien technology. Following its identification as a natural comet from another star, extensive radio scans were conducted at the Institute's telescope in Northern California. Over seven hours of observations yielded nearly 74 million narrow-band radio signals, with only about 200 remaining after accounting for human interference, all traced back to Earth-based technology. The comet passed within 19 million miles (30 million kilometers) of Mars last October and reached its closest point to Earth at 167 million miles (269 million kilometers) in December. Researchers estimate the comet's size to be between 440 feet (134 meters) and 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) and suggest it could be as old as 11 billion years, making it potentially older than the sun. The findings, published in the Astronomical Journal, underscore the importance of searching for technosignatures, even from objects not initially suspected of harboring signals.
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