Astronomers David Jewitt and Jane Luu highlighted that CO₂ is the driver of this activity, a trait consistent with other comets.
A spacecraft disguised as a comet?
The renowned astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggested an alternative hypothesis: if that retraction of the anti-tail were a maneuver, it could be a technosignature. His colleague Adam Hibberd proposes that the trajectory would seek to establish a stable orbit around the Sun.
Most experts dismiss that idea. They state that the mass loss—about 2 million tons—is normal in bodies containing volatile compounds. The nucleus would be around 33 billion tons.
December will be the key month
The upcoming observations will determine whether 3I/ATLAS behaves like a rare but natural comet, or if it still hides anomalies that justify bolder theories.
