3I/ATLAS Anomalies Persist: Interstellar Comet Emits Multiple 'Anti-Tail' Jets, Puzzling Scientists Anew

Observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, which holds the distinction of being the third confirmed object to enter our Solar System from beyond, continue to reveal characteristics that defy conventional understanding of cosmic bodies. This intriguing visitor was first detected on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS system operating in Chile. Since its initial sighting, 3I/ATLAS has become the focus of intense scrutiny, prompting researchers to fundamentally reassess the physical and chemical processes occurring in the far reaches of the cosmos.

Recent imagery captured on November 8, 2025, presented a truly astonishing spectacle: the comet's nucleus was seen actively ejecting at least four to five distinct jets. Remarkably, some of these plumes were observed forming so-called “anti-tails,” structures oriented directly toward the Sun—a significant departure from typical cometary behavior. Adding to the international effort, the Chinese orbital spacecraft Tianwen-1 successfully photographed the comet just one day prior, on November 7, 2025. Experts such as M. Jaeger, G. Remann, and E. Prosperi are heavily involved in the ongoing analysis, alongside major international organizations including ATLAS, NASA, and the European Space Agency, all of whom are planning future monitoring programs.

The sheer number of anomalies associated with 3I/ATLAS provides a powerful impetus for scientific advancement. For instance, the object follows a retrograde orbit, a configuration whose random occurrence is calculated to be a minuscule 0.2%. This alone suggests a highly unusual origin. Furthermore, the composition of its gaseous plume has attracted particular attention: it exhibits an elevated nickel content relative to iron, drawing comparisons to industrial alloys. Another statistical improbability, also calculated at just 0.2% likelihood, is the near-perfect alignment of the object’s trajectory plane with the orbits of Earth, Mars, and Venus. These statistical outliers have led researchers, notably Harvard Professor Avi Loeb, to seriously consider hypotheses extending beyond standard cometary activity, including the controversial possibility of a technological origin.

Spectral analysis has confirmed that the comet possesses a pronounced blue tint, distinguishing it sharply from the typical solar spectrum reflected by most comets. Scientists have also documented non-gravitational acceleration that cannot be explained by the visible mass loss through evaporation, leading some to liken the effect to an “engine being switched on.” Despite encountering a powerful solar plasma ejection, which typically strips the tails from conventional comets, 3I/ATLAS displayed remarkable stability. Estimates suggest this object might be the oldest comet yet discovered, potentially exceeding 7 billion years in age. Key unresolved questions revolve around the mechanism driving this acceleration and the precise chemical makeup, especially given the extremely low water content—only 4% by mass—detected in its plume.

Further deepening the mystery is the statistically improbable ratio of nickel to cyanide, an arrangement that possesses only a 1% natural probability. New investigations utilizing data from the Very Large Telescope (VLT) propose that the nickel and iron may be bound within organometallic compounds featuring a low sublimation temperature, such as nickel tetracarbonyl. This finding offers a potential explanation for why nickel appears before iron when heated, suggesting that even the most unlikely combinations of elements might naturally reflect the formation conditions in other stellar systems. The object is scheduled to make a safe close approach to Earth on December 19, 2025, passing at a distance of 270 million kilometers, before continuing its journey past Jupiter on March 16, 2026. The study of 3I/ATLAS provides an unparalleled opportunity to observe how matter organizes itself under vastly different cosmic circumstances.