Archive · 28 Nov 2025
3I/ATLAS May Show Anomaly Near Jupiter
There's a special comet called 3I/ATLAS that's going to fly by Jupiter in 2026.
At its closest point, it will be almost exactly at a special boundary around Jupiter called the Hill radius.
This is where Jupiter's gravity is the strongest.
A scientist named Avi Loeb thinks this is a very rare coincidence and might mean something special about the comet.
He suggests it could be a sign that the comet has some kind of technology, like artificial satellites.
We might learn more about this when spacecraft like Juno, Juice, or Psyche study it more in the coming months.
3I/ATLAS will fly by Jupiter on March 16, 2026, at a distance of 53.445 million km, nearly matching Jupiter's Hill radius of 53.502 million km.
The coincidence between the comet's perijove distance and Jupiter's Hill radius has a statistical likelihood of less than 0.00004.
Harvard scientist Avi Loeb suggests this anomaly could indicate a technological signature, possibly releasing artificial satellites at Jupiter's Lagrange points L1 and L2.
The non-gravitational acceleration observed near the Sun might have helped the comet achieve this match.
Further clarity on the perijove distance and Jupiter's Hill radius is expected from spacecraft like Juno, Juice, or Psyche in the coming months.
- Who
- Avi Loeb (Harvard scientist) and researchers studying 3I/ATLAS
- What
- The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may exhibit an anomaly near Jupiter's Hill radius
- When
- March 16, 2026 (closest approach to Jupiter)
- Where
- Near Jupiter, specifically at the Hill radius
- Why
- The coincidence between the comet's perijove distance and Jupiter's Hill radius is statistically unlikely, suggesting a possible technological signature
- Object
- 3I/ATLAS (interstellar comet)
- Closest Approach
- March 16, 2026
- Distance at Perijove
- 53.445 million km
- Jupiter's Hill Radius
- 53.502 million km
- Scientist
- Avi Loeb (Harvard)
- Possible Anomaly
- Technological signature or artificial satellites
- Likelihood of Coincidence
- Less than 0.00004
- Spacecraft for Further Study
- Juno, Juice, Psyche