Khaberni - Astronomers have detected a strange radio signal originating from a mysterious object coming from outside the solar system, known as "3I/ATLAS", as it passes through the solar system heading towards Earth. According to the "Daily Mail".
Using the "MeerKAT" radio telescope in South Africa, researchers on October 24 were able to detect hydroxyl (OH) molecules surrounding the object, molecules that leave a distinctive radio signature that can be captured by advanced telescopes.
Professor Avi Loeb from Harvard University, who has been studying the object since last summer, said: "This is the first documented radio discovery of 3I/ATLAS, and it gives us a rare opportunity to study an interstellar object in real time."
Analysis of the signals indicates that the surface temperature of the body is about 45 degrees Fahrenheit below zero (–45°F), and its diameter is estimated to be between 3 to 6 miles (about 10 kilometers), making it much larger than the famous visitor "1I/‘Oumuamua" which was discovered in 2017 and was only a few hundred feet long.
Optical images taken on November 9 showed that 3I/ATLAS is ejecting massive jets of dust and gas that extend 600,000 miles towards the sun and 1.8 million miles in the opposite direction, almost the diameter of the sun itself in the celestial scene.
The object is currently about 203 million miles from Earth, which has allowed for the first accurate measurements of its immense activity.
But what astonished scientists was the speed and extreme force of those jets, as Loeb said, "The numbers are shocking if we assume the object is a natural comet," adding that the lost mass, and the sudden brightness near the solar perihelion, indicate unusual behavior.
The true nature of 3I/ATLAS is expected to become clear on December 19, when it comes closer to Earth, where Hubble and James Webb space telescopes will be used to measure its speed, structure, and the density of its material with high accuracy.
MeerKAT Observatory is also monitoring the absorption signals caused by oxygen and hydrogen molecules, while NASA's "Juno" spacecraft is preparing to approach the body on March 16, 2026, when it will pass 33 million miles from Jupiter, in an attempt to detect low-frequency radio waves that may reveal the nature of its emissions.
It is notable that the path of 3I/ATLAS intersects only 9 degrees from the direction from which the famous "Wow! Signal" was issued in 1977, adding a new element of mystery to this cosmic visitor.
Loeb concluded his statement saying: "3I/ATLAS gives us an unprecedented opportunity to study an object coming from the depths of the galaxy. It moves at tremendous speeds, releasing huge amounts of material, in a way that challenges our understanding of natural comets."
