Astronomer says 3I/ATLAS 'is a comet for sure' after revealing real-time images of the interstellar object
The Virtual Telescope Project held an online observation of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on November 19, 2025. Renowned astrophysicist Gianluca Masi hosted the YouTube broadcast where he shared real-time visuals of the interstellar comet. Talking about the comet, Masi said that despite various speculations, the object was natural and “a comet for sure.” He emphasized the cometary nature of the object and dismissed any baseless theory.
“Maybe you have heard a lot of things about this object, but trust me, this is a natural object,” Masi stated. “This is a comet for sure. A very intriguing one, but still a comet,” he added. As he scrolled through the various images, he exclaimed his surprise at the array of theories on the comet. “I still fail (in) understanding why any other kind of idea has spread so much despite the clear nature, the cometary nature of this object,” the astrophysicist stated. This could be hinting at the speculations about the comet being an alien mothership by Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb.
Loeb compiled a list of anomalies (which he has expanded to twelve) in his blog on Medium that suggested that the comet could be alien technology. However, a big section of the scientific community has dismissed his claims. Among them was Penn State astronomer Jason Wright, who, on his AstroWright blog, claimed that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, albeit an unusual one. And from what he said on a recent episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, SpaceX founder Elon Musk also doesn't seem to be convinced by Loeb's claims. "If there was any evidence of aliens, Joe, you have my word, I will come on your show, and I will reveal it on the show," he told Rogan.
Masi presented the inverted image of the comet so that the tail was visible to the viewers. He brought attention to the size of the object, and how the best estimates put it around "a few hundred meters to a few kilometers."
Masi also mentioned how it was moving at an incredible speed despite being far away from the Sun (it got closest to the Sun on October 29), before reiterating that it was pretty clear from the time it was discovered that it is a natural comet.
Of course, the interstellar object is on its way to make its closest approach to Earth on December 19, which will see it come within 170 million miles of our planet. While it's still a huge distance, Masi assured that the Virtual Telescope Project will be well prepared for the event. In the other news, only a few hours are left before NASA releases previously unseen images of 3I/ATLAS in a live event scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. EST on November 19 at the agency's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Of course, you'll be able to catch the event from the comfort of your home thanks to NASA+, the agency's website, its YouTube channel, and Amazon Prime.
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