A mysterious object from another star system, designated 3I/ATLAS, is set to make its closest approach to Earth in mere hours, sparking intense debate among astronomers and researchers who claim it is not behaving like a normal comet.
A Close but Safe Encounter
On Friday, 19 December, the interstellar visitor is projected to come within approximately 170 million miles of our planet, according to NASA. While this distance poses no collision threat, it will be close enough for amateur stargazers to spot using small telescopes or cameras. The space agency has stated it found no evidence the object is artificial or harbours extraterrestrial life, concluding it is a large space rock from a distant solar system.
However, this official declaration is being challenged by independent researchers who point to a series of unexplained anomalies. One of the most compelling is a strange, rhythmic pulsation—described as a 'heartbeat'—emanating from the object.
The Puzzling 'Heartbeat' and Ancient Calendars
Independent researcher and author Andrew Collins, a writer with over 40 years of experience in ancient mysteries and science, has presented evidence that this heartbeat pulses in a 15.48-hour cycle. Intriguingly, this cycle aligns precisely with Earth's 24-hour day when broken down into an ancient 144-second timing unit used in old Chinese clocks and Indian meditation practices.
Collins's paper, based on data from Earth-based and space telescopes tracking the object since its discovery in July, reveals that the new 15.48-hour cycle fits exactly into 387 of these units, while a full Earth day fits into 600. "This is too perfect to be a coincidence," Collins asserted, suggesting the comet might be 'broadcasting' a universal mathematical pattern. He posits this could hint at intelligent design, linking our planet's rotation to ancient concepts of cosmic rhythm, rather than being random gaseous outbursts from solar heating.
Scientific Pushback and Further Anomalies
Collins's work references Professor Avi Loeb, head of the Galileo Project, which searches for extraterrestrial life. Loeb has documented multiple strange clues tied to 3I/ATLAS. These include the object ejecting particles like methanol and hydrogen cyanide—DNA building blocks—leading to hypotheses it could be 'seeding' nearby planets. Other anomalies are its unexplained acceleration without gravitational assist, its improbable path past multiple planets, and the fact it appears to come from the same direction as the famous 1977 'Wow! Signal' radio transmission.
Loeb has also focused on the object's massive size, roughly three miles long, and its unusual 'anti-tail'—a stream of particles pointing toward the sun, which he speculates could resemble a spacecraft's engine plume. "How do you explain the large mass of the object quantitatively?" Loeb challenged during a recent podcast, criticising NASA for what he sees as a dismissive approach. "You can't just be a bureaucrat who makes statements... That's not the way science is done."
Both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) maintain that 3I/ATLAS is a lifeless comet with a unique chemical composition. At a press conference on 19 November, NASA declared it a comet and reported no detected 'technosignatures'. However, the agency faced criticism for releasing low-quality images in October, despite its Mars probes coming within 18 million miles of the object, while amateur astronomers captured sharper pictures from Earth.
As the debate between mainstream science and alternative theories continues, the public has a unique opportunity to observe the enigmatic visitor. The best viewing will start from 11pm ET tonight (4am GMT on the 20th). Viewers should look east to northeast, where the object will appear below Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo, in the pre-dawn sky. Using a telescope with a lens as small as five inches should reveal clear images of this interstellar mystery as it swings by our world.
