Is 3I/ATLAS intentionally 'clearing' meteors out of path: comet expert

Does 3I/ATLAS have interstellar headlights?

Harvard scientist Avi Loeb speculated that NASA’s recently released photos of 3I/ATLAS could potentially point to its artificial origins — and even wondered if the so-called comet was purposely targeting and sweeping meteorites out of its path. He posited his theory in a viral new blog post on Medium.

“The extended glow is ahead of the object, not trailing it as expected for a cometary tail,” the astrophysicist told The Post. “In the case of a technological object, it could be a beam of particles or light illuminating the path forward to avoid the hazards of micrometeorites.”

Loeb was referring to a photo of said comet that was snapped by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera and unveiled with others at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Ce