On December 19, the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is expected make its closest approach to Earth, passing within 170 million miles, giving astronomers a rare opportunity to study its bizarre 16.16-hour light pulse – described as a cosmic “heartbeat” – with the help of the ATLAS tracker.
Astronomers across the globe are preparing for the rare encounter, deploying telescopes and analytical tools to observe the object approaching Earth as it speeds toward its December flyby. The pass offers a window to study 3I/ATLAS’ unusual light patterns in real time.
Rare Encounter and Unusual Pulse
As ATLAS tracker, now being tracked via the ATLASc speeds toward its closest point to Earth, researchers are preparing to build on months of curious observations.
A European-African research team first reported in October that the object approaching earth was radiating a repeating “heartbeat” of light every 16.16 hours, a pattern that has captivated astronomers worldwide.
“Overall, interstellar comet 3i ATLAS shows characteristics typical of weakly active outer Solar System comets, despite its interstellar origin,” the researchers wrote.
“Continued monitoring around perihelion is necessary to track changes in activity, color, which will provide insights into the evolution of interstellar earth materials under solar radiation.”
The discovery has added intrigue to the already rare arrival of an interstellar object heading towards earth only the third ever confirmed to pass through our solar system. While most scientists maintain the pulse is simply caused by the object coming to earth spinning and reflecting sunlight, not everyone is convinced that the phenomenon is ordinary.
Loeb Pushes the Discussion Further
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, known for his provocative theories on extraterrestrial technology, argues that there may be more behind the pulse than natural rotation. He suggests that interstellar comet 3i atlas’ so-called “anti-tail”—a jet of particles seemingly not the object heading toward earth but heading towards the Sun rather than away—could be tied to a rotating pocket of ice exposed during its spin.
“In the context of a natural comet, this can arise from a sunward jet (anti-tail) that is initiated only when a large pocket of ice on one side of the nucleus is facing the Sun,” Loeb wrote. “As a result, the coma will get pumped up every time the ice pocket is facing the Sun.”
This cyclical activity could mimic a “heartbeat,” with a puff of gas and dust serving the role of a stream of ‘blood’ through the coma periodically over the rotation period of 16.16 hours, he added. While many peers interpret this as textbook’s comet behavior, Loeb continues to entertain alternative interpretations.
“For a technological object, the direction of the pulsing jet could be arbitrary and not necessarily pointing towards the Sun,” he wrote.
His critics, however, note that the more grounded explanation remains the simplest: it’s just spinning “like a rotisserie chicken,” reflecting sunlight as it rotates. Researchers argue this scenario is far more consistent with known physics than alien engineering, though they admit the pulse is a scientifically valuable oddity.
Looking to the December Flyby
Scientists say the upcoming flyby will be the best opportunity to determine whether the “heartbeat” has changed since the comet heading for earth reached perihelion in late October. Loeb argues that researchers have yet to fully map out how the pulse behaves over time.
“This heartbeat pattern should have been apparent in a series of well-calibrated snapshots of the coma over several days, but none was systematically studied in the published literature,” he wrote. “A movie showing the periodic brightening of the jets around interstellar comet 3i/ATLAS photos over several days can reveal whether the jets are natural or technological based on the orientation of the heartbeat pattern relative to the Sun.”
If the interstellar comet breaks speed record as it continues its journey, scientists say this large object headed towards earth will be moving with faster velocities that exceed those of typical Solar System comets.
But for now, scientists agree on ATLAS tracker, and whatever is causing the light pulse, 3I/ATLAS remains one of the most intriguing cosmic visitors in recent memory. Its December pass may finally offer answers as this object flying towards earth makes its brief and enigmatic visit.
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