[Space] About 3I/ATLAS' Mass Loss of 5 Billion Tons a Month

An article has reported that Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggested comet 3I/ATLAS is losing about 5 billion tons of mass per month, possibly due to “technological thrusters pointing toward the Sun.” NASA quickly countered, stating it is a natural interstellar comet. The debate has sparked scientific and public controversy, with NASA confirming the comet shows non‑gravitational acceleration but attributing it to natural cometary processes/

NASA Reports 3I/ATLAS Mass Loss of 5 Billion Tons a Month – Suggests Possible Artificial Propulsion

Background of 3I/ATLAS

Discovery: 3I/ATLAS was first detected in July 2025 by the ATLAS telescope in Chile.

Nature: It is the third confirmed interstellar object to enter our solar system, after ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019).

Trajectory: Its orbit is hyperbolic, meaning it is not bound to the Sun and will eventually leave the solar system.

Speed: At perihelion (closest approach to the Sun), it reached speeds of 153,000 mph (68 km/s).

Scientific Value: Offers a rare chance to study material formed around another star system ~7 billion years ago.

Images: NASA and international observatories have released multiple images showing its coma and tail, confirming cometary behavior.

Detailed background on Wikipedia.

Observations & Speculation About “Spaceship” Theories

While mainstream science identifies 3I/ATLAS as a comet, some unusual features have fueled speculation:

Avi Loeb’s Claim: Suggested its mass loss and trajectory could be consistent with artificial propulsion.

NASA’s Response: Officials firmly reject alien spacecraft theories, stating “it looks and behaves like a comet”.

Public Speculation: Online discussions compared it to ʻOumuamua, with some conspiracy theories suggesting it might be a probe.

Scientific Debate: Physicist Michio Kaku dismissed the alien hypothesis, calling it a “cosmic relic” rather than engineered technology.

Unusual Tail: Observations show a complex, changing tail structure, which some enthusiasts interpret as evidence of artificiality, though astronomers attribute it to natural outgassing.

Academic Papers: A few speculative studies (e.g., Loeb et al. draft, arXiv preprint) explore the possibility of technological origins, but these remain fringe ideas.

3i/ATLAS Updates, 11/23/2025 by Beyond Orbit:

China Finally Shows First Real Image of 3i/ATLAS

James Webb Just Recorded Something Unprecedented with 3iATLAS 11/23/2025 by Cold Veil Chronicles

Comet 3I/ATLAS Image Gallery

3I/ATLAS - Wikipedia

Everything You Need to Know About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS | TIME

NASA releases new photos of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

NASA unveils trove of stunning 3I/ATLAS photos. Take a look

Alien Ship Or Interstellar Iceberg? Why 3I/ATLAS Is Not The ET Probe The Internet Hoped For | IBTimes

Don't Panic! 3I/ATLAS Isn't an Alien Death Probe, But It Is Wildly Unusual : ScienceAlert

Michio Kaku Counters Avi Loeb’s 3I/ATLAS Theory: ‘It’s Garbage,’ Scientist Says

lweb.cfa.harvard.edu/~loeb/HCL25.pdf

[Earth] South Atlantic Anomaly and Huge Structures inside Earth Related to the Life Origin?

Here is a Summary of Two Interesting Articles related to Earth. The second one is important for our future. 

Article 1: Scientists Say Huge Structures Inside Earth Are Related to the Origin of Life

Huge Structures Inside Earth

Scientists have identified two continent-sized dense rock structures at the boundary of Earth’s mantle and core, located beneath Africa and the Pacific Ocean.

These formations, called large-low shear velocity provinces (LLSVPs) and ultra-low velocity zones, disrupt seismic waves and suggest unusual composition.

New Theory

A team led by Yoshinori Miyazaki (Rutgers University) proposes that these structures formed from silicon and magnesium leaking from Earth’s core billions of years ago.

This leakage may have “contaminated” a basal magma ocean, preventing uniform solidification and creating the lumpy mantle composition.

Implications for Earth’s Evolution

This process could have helped Earth cool sufficiently, triggering volcanic activity and shaping the atmosphere.

It may explain why Earth developed a stable, habitable environment, while Venus and Mars became inhospitable.

Scientific Significance

These structures are described as “fingerprints of Earth’s earliest history.”

Understanding them could provide insight into planetary formation and why Earth is uniquely suited for life.

Article 2: This Strange Anomaly is Expanding, And NASA is Tracking It Over the South Atlantic

What the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) Is

The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is a weak spot in Earth’s magnetic field, located between South America and southwest Africa.

It appears as a “dent” in the magnetic shield, allowing more high-energy solar particles to reach satellites.

Expansion and Division

The anomaly has been expanding steadily since its discovery, growing by nearly half the size of continental Europe since 2014.

In 2020, scientists observed that the anomaly is splitting into two distinct regions, with different behaviors near Africa and South America.

Risks to Satellites

Satellites passing through the SAA are vulnerable to glitches or malfunctions caused by solar particles.

Operators often shut down sensitive systems temporarily to prevent data loss or damage.

NASA has already observed real-time disruptions linked to the anomaly.

Possible Causes

The anomaly may be influenced by a massive dense rock structure beneath Africa called the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province.

This disrupts the magnetic field generated by Earth’s molten iron core.

NASA geophysicists note that a localized reversed polarity field is growing in the region, weakening the overall magnetic strength.

Scientific Importance

The SAA provides clues about how Earth’s magnetic field evolves.

Ongoing monitoring is crucial for protecting space missions and understanding planetary dynamics.

Researchers emphasize that the anomaly is slow-moving but changing in morphology, requiring continuous observation. 

Link- Article 2: This Strange Anomaly is Expanding, And NASA is Tracking It Over the South Atlantic

Link- Article 1: Scientists Say Huge Structures Inside Earth Are Related to the Origin of Life

Growing South Atlantic Anomaly Threatening Satellites and Spacecraft. | WION Podcast

Something Weird Is Happening In Earth's Magnetic Field & NASA is Worried

[Space] Moon's Helium-3

Helium‑3 is a rare, stable isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron, first isolated in 1939 after being proposed by physicist Mark Oliphant in 1934. Unlike the more common helium‑4, it is fermionic and exhibits unique quantum properties such as becoming a superfluid at extremely low temperatures. On Earth, helium‑3 is scarce, occurring in trace amounts in the atmosphere, mantle, and natural gas deposits, and is mainly produced through the radioactive decay of tritium. However, it is thought to be more abundant on the Moon, where solar wind has implanted it into the regolith over billions of years, and in the atmospheres of gas giants. Its potential as a clean nuclear fusion fuel—because helium‑3 fusion reactions produce little to no harmful neutron radiation—has made it a subject of scientific and geopolitical interest, though practical extraction and use remain technologically and economically challenging

The new mineral discovered on the Moon, named Changesite- (Y), was identified by Chinese scientists from lunar samples collected during the Chang'e-5 mission. This mineral is a phosphate with a chemical formula of (Ca8Y)□Fe2+ (PO4)7, forming colorless, transparent columnar crystals in basalt particles. It was first identified by researchers at the Beijing Research Institute of Uranium Geology and is the sixth new lunar mineral to be found. Changesite- (Y) is significant as it contains helium-3, a rare isotope that could be used in nuclear fusion, potentially providing a clean energy source for future generations.

Timeline of Helium‑3

1934 – Australian physicist Mark Oliphant first proposed the existence of Helium‑3 while experimenting with nuclear reactions at Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory.

1939 – Luis Alvarez and Robert Cornog successfully isolated Helium‑3, proving it was a stable isotope rather than radioactive.

1972 – Researchers published the discovery of superfluid Helium‑3, showing that unlike bosonic Helium‑4, it behaves as a fermion and enters a superfluid state at millikelvin temperatures.

Late 20th Century – Helium‑3 became recognized as a byproduct of tritium decay in nuclear reactors, making it available in small industrial quantities.

2000s–Present – Interest grew in Helium‑3 as a potential fusion fuel due to its aneutronic reactions (producing little radioactive waste). Scientists also highlighted its scarcity on Earth but relative abundance on the Moon’s regolith and in gas giant atmospheres.

2025 – Pulsar Helium Inc. announced a terrestrial discovery of Helium‑3 in Minnesota, sparking renewed attention to Earth‑based recovery alongside lunar mining ambitions.

Helium-3: The Moon’s Hidden Super Fuel—and China Is Closer Than Anyone

Helium-3: The Future Energy Source on the Moon