Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has an unusual 'anti-tail': What is it
Say hello to 3I/ATLAS, a newly discovered interstellar visitor spotted in July 2025.
As it travels through our solar system toward Mars and Jupiter, scientists are buzzing about its unusual "anti-tail"—a tail that points toward the Sun instead of away from it.
Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb analyzed Hubble images and commented on this odd feature.
Comet's color shift and cyanide production
Turns out, 3I/ATLAS has more carbon dioxide than water in its coma than scientists expected.
Its color has also shifted from red to blue-green, hinting at a boost in cyanide production without iron.
Unlike previous interstellar objects like 'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, this one is broadly considered to be a comet—giving researchers a rare chance to study what these cosmic travelers are made of before it leaves our solar system.