[Regnum] Researchers have detected narrow beams of unknown origin emanating from the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb reported this on his blog on November 16.
| Or, possibly, we don’t know quite as much as we think we do. You know, the sciencey thing where we’re but children picking up pebbles on the seashore… |
According to the researcher, the hypothesis that gas emissions could have slowed the rotation of 3I/ATLAS is unlikely: asymmetric outgassing typically accelerates the rotation of such bodies. Loeb suggested that the observed rays could be traces of evaporated fragments separated from the object's core. However, their true origin has not been determined.
"In any case, the post-perihelion images add a new anomaly to a list that currently includes 12 mysteries regarding 3I/ATLAS," Loeb said.
However, he also considers another version: the preservation of the beams' directionality can be explained by the work of certain "engines" that maintain a stable orientation, which could theoretically indicate the possible artificial origin of 3I/ATLAS.
| Possible? Of course — very little is not possible. But how probable is it, and how can we test the hypothesis— that’s the question he needs to ask. |