The United States space agency, NASA, has raised its alert level and activated a planetary defense protocol after detecting what it described as “inexplicable” behavior in comet 3I/ATLAS.
The technical notice was issued in bulletin MPEC (2025-U142) by the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union, sparking surprise in the scientific community due to the comet’s unusual characteristics. Among the concerning factors are its irregular trajectory, difficulties in defining its brightness centroid, and challenges in predicting its exact evolution.
The operation includes a special monitoring and analysis exercise that will run from November 27, 2025, to January 27, 2026, aiming to strengthen observation and response protocols in case of potential space threats.
Is this a real threat or just an intriguing astronomical phenomenon?
It is mainly an astronomical event worthy of study, but with implications that prevent it from being dismissed outright. Although no immediate danger to Earth has been declared, the fact that NASA has activated a special operation indicates that this is an object requiring enhanced surveillance.
