Scientists Scanned an Interstellar Comet for Alien Signals During Its Earth Flyby
Right now, one of the most intriguing visitors ever detected in our Solar System has quietly come and gone, and scientists made sure not to miss the opportunity it offered. The object is called Comet 3I/ATLAS, and it is only the third confirmed interstellar object humanity has ever observed. That alone makes it special. But what really captured attention is that, during its closest approach to Earth, it was carefully scanned for possible signs of alien technology.
Let’s rewind briefly. On July 1, 2025, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System spotted an object racing through the Solar System on a path that clearly did not originate here. Further analysis showed it came from another star system entirely. Soon after, it was confirmed to be a comet, thanks to its visible coma and classic comet-like behavior. Still, this was no ordinary comet. It is believed to be older than our Solar System and may not have passed close to another star for at least 10 million years.
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Because of its unusual origin, some speculation naturally followed. While astronomers overwhelmingly agree that 3I/ATLAS is a natural object, the Breakthrough Listen project decided it was worth checking for technosignatures, just in case. These are signs of technology, such as narrowband radio signals, that could indicate intelligent communication.
As the comet reached its closest point to Earth in mid-December 2025, still a safe 270 million kilometers away, the team used the Green Bank Telescope, the largest steerable radio telescope in the world. Observations were carried out across a wide range of radio frequencies, with sensitivity far greater than any previous attempt to study an interstellar object this way. In simple terms, if anything artificial had been transmitting from that comet, the telescope should have noticed.
The data did show nine unusual signal “events” at first glance. However, after closer inspection, all of them were traced back to human-made radio interference. In the end, no credible technosignatures were found. So, as exciting as the idea may be, 3I/ATLAS does not appear to be sending messages across the galaxy.
At the same time, another team focused on a different mystery: the comet’s subtle, non-gravitational acceleration. This kind of movement can sound suspicious, but in reality it is a well-known cometary effect caused by uneven outgassing as ice turns into vapor near the Sun. By studying this behavior, scientists were able to estimate the comet’s size. The results suggest a nucleus about one kilometer wide, very similar to comets found in our own Solar System.
In the end, 3I/ATLAS seems to be exactly what it looks like: a natural interstellar comet. Still, it offered scientists a rare chance to test powerful instruments, refine theories, and remind us that visitors from other star systems are real, measurable, and absolutely worth paying attention to.
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