The mysterious interstellar object hurtling through our solar system has just given scientists more evidence that it may be a craft from another part of the galaxy.
According to Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, the object dubbed 3I/ATLAS seems to be generating its own light, similar to a vehicle turning on its headlights, but its source is currently a mystery.
The shocking revelation came from a picture an astronomer took of 3I/ATLAS using the Hubble Space Telescope on July 21.
The light from 3I/ATLAS in Hubble’s photo appeared as a glowing area focused on the side of the object facing the sun. It’s not a beam or laser shooting out like a spotlight, nor was it a uniform glow covering the entire surface.
Until now, the prevailing theory has been that the fast-moving object is a giant comet approximately 12 miles long, which will make its closest pass to Earth on December 17.
In a new report, Loeb said this glow might be caused by dust coming off the object’s surface as it is heated by the sun.
However, the glow’s brightness decreases sharply with distance, which doesn’t match how typical comets behave when they reflect sunlight.
According to Loeb, this has added yet another potential clue that 3I/ATLAS might be artificial, containing a powerful source of energy that’s capable of generating light we see from millions of miles away.