IS COMET 3I/ATLAS REALLY A SPACESHIP? We’re about to find out. On Oct. 29th, the interstellar object will make its closest approach to the sun. Perihelion is the perfect time to perform a Solar Oberth maneuver or to deploy stealthy probes. If we see any unexpected non-gravitational acceleration, artificial lights, or excess heat (engine activity), it could point to alien tech. Otherwise, 3I/ATLAS is what it appears to be--a comet. Contrary to widespread reports, we can see 3I/ATLAS from Earth, so this will be a legitimate "acid test" of the spaceship hypothesis.
Feedback on the Comet 3I/ATLAS story: We have received an unusual number of strongly-worded emails about our coverage of Comet 3I/ATLAS. About half look like this:
Almost as many say, "It's a spaceship. Stop trying to cover it up!"
For the record, we think 3I/ATLAS is an exotic comet. But, like it or not, Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb's attention-seeking spacecraft hypothesis is testable. An Oberth maneuver at perihelion would change our minds about this interstellar object. "Pushing garbage" or the scientific method? You decide.
THE HALLOWEEN STORMS: Exactly 22 years ago today, one of the most powerful CMEs of the Space Age struck Earth's magnetic field. The impact kickstarted the Halloween Storms. Here's what Spaceweather.com had to say on Oct. 29, 2003:
"An extreme geomagnetic storm is in progress following the arrival of a CME at approximately 0630 UT. In the United States, auroras (gallery) have appeared as far south as Georgia, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma.
Right: Not far from Houston, Texas, photographer Christie Ponder snapped this picture of red auroras. "What a wonderful show! Vivid spikes shot up about 15 to 20 degrees above the horizon," she says.
The prospects for more auroras tonight are good, mainly because the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) near Earth has tilted sharply south--a condition that promotes geomagnetic activity. Sky watchers at all latitudes should be alert for auroras after local nightfall.
Meanwhile, another powerful solar flare (X11-class) has erupted from giant sunspot 486. Stay tuned for details."
Unknown to forecasters at the time, active sunspot 486 would unleash even stronger solar flares in the days ahead, sparking a truly historic storm. Come back tomorrow to see what happened next.
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VOYAGER GOLDEN RECORD: This is a must-have Christmas ornament for space fans: The Voyager Golden Record. On Oct. 31, 2023, the students of Earth to Sky Calculus launched it to the stratosphere onboard a cosmic ray research balloon:
You can have it for $99.95. The 3-inch aluminum disk is imprinted with instructions for extraterrestrials, telling ET how to play the sounds of Earth. The original phonograph records are sailing through interstellar space onboard NASA's Voyager probes. Having touched the edge of space, this is the closest thing on Earth to an actual Golden Record. The ornament comes with extra materials decoding the markings on the disk.
The students are selling space ornaments to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. Each one comes with a greeting card showing the ornament in flight and telling the story of its journey to the edge of space.
Far Out Gifts: Earth to Sky Store
All sales support hands-on STEM education
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