NASA really wants you to know that 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet

Since early July, astronomers worldwide have been closely monitoring the comet 3I/ATLAS, our third confirmed interstellar visitor. The name '3I' denotes its classification as the third interstellar object, while 'ATLAS' refers to the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, the telescope network that initially identified it. The comet made its closest approach to the Sun in late October, coinciding with the US government shutdown. Although some personnel were still able to operate essential equipment, NASA's public communication regarding the comet was limited during this period. To rectify this, NASA organized a press conference to share new insights about 3I/ATLAS and highlight the role of its instruments in gathering data. NASA officials emphasized that 3I/ATLAS is a typical comet, countering speculation from some quarters, including astronomer Avi Loeb, who suggested it might be an artificial spacecraft. "This object is a comet," stated Associate Administrator Amit Kshatrya. "It looks and behaves like a comet, and all evidence points to it being a comet." The classification of 3I/ATLAS as an extrasolar comet is due to its orbital characteristics. The shape of its orbit, which can be quantified using the concept of eccentricity, indicates that it follows a path typical of comets. A perfect circle has an eccentricity of zero, while higher values result in elongated elliptical orbits. At an eccentricity of one, the object follows a narrow parabolic trajectory, allowing it to escape the Sun's gravitational influence as it travels into the galaxy.