Is this mysterious object alien spacecraft? NASA's shocking discovery
NASA just spotted something odd: the mysterious space object 3I/ATLAS shrank by 13% after passing close to the Sun.
Even stranger, it doesn't have the usual comet tail, making scientists scratch their heads about what it actually is.
The closest approach to Earth is coming up on December 19, and everyone's watching closely.
The 'anti-tail' mystery
Harvard's Professor Avi Loeb pointed out that 3I/ATLAS suddenly changed course near the Sun—almost like it was steered—and lost size without leaving any dust or gas behind, which is super unusual.
Plus, its color shifts and a weird "anti-tail" aimed at the Sun have some experts wondering if it could even be artificial.
As it gets closer to Earth, scientists are eager to see what more they can learn from this cosmic mystery.