Alien ship or cosmic 'soda'?

      A real cosmic detective story is unfolding across the expanse of the Solar System. Its main protagonist is comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar wanderer that has burst into our domain and challenged all scientific notions. An object that some call an ancient relic and others a potential creation of extraterrestrial intelligence.

      A cosmic guest on a mission?

      Discovered in July 2025, comet 3I/ATLAS is a true "alien." It’s not from our system and has already set a speed record — 210,000 km/h. It is about 7 billion years old, making it a contemporary of our galaxy.

      But what really excited scientists was its anomalous behavior and composition. Studies showed that the comet is a genuine "soda" because of a record content of carbon dioxide. And the nickel found in it without its usual companion — iron — outright contradicts the laws of chemistry.

      Professor Loeb’s hypothesis: Is it a craft?

      The most sensational theory was proposed by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb. He suggests that 3I/ATLAS could be an artificial object.

      It behaves oddly, accelerating "as if under control."

      It may emit its own light, "like a vehicle with its headlights on."

      It may even have been the source of the mysterious Wow! signal detected in 1977.

      Scientific spectacle: Dozens of probes are tracking the object

      While theories stir minds, an unprecedented hunt for the comet is underway. A whole fleet of NASA and ESA spacecraft have joined the observations: Mars Express, ExoMars TGO, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and others.

      On October 3 it already flew 28 million km from Mars, and on October 29 it will reach its point of closest approach to the Sun, after which it will leave our system forever. There is no threat to Earth — the comet will pass at a distance of 260 million km.

      Epilogue: Space storms on Earth

      While scientists argue about the distant guest, Earthlings are feeling the effects of activity from our own star. October has been characterized by a series of geomagnetic storms which, according to forecasts, will last until the end of the month, reminding us of the inseparable connection between humanity and space, reports the portal karelinform.ru.

      One thing is certain: the passage of 3I/ATLAS is a unique opportunity to peer into the depths of the Galaxy and, possibly, rewrite the astronomy textbooks.