3I/ATLAS ANOMALIES
Real-time evidence catalog from our solar system's latest visitor
10x Sunward Glow Extension
The glow around 3I/ATLAS extends 10 times farther toward the Sun than its width - completely opposite to normal cometary behavior where tails point away from the Sun.
Anomalously Massive Object
With a mass exceeding 33 billion tons and diameter >5km, 3I/ATLAS is 3-5 orders of magnitude more massive than previous interstellar objects.
Retrograde Ecliptic Alignment
The trajectory is aligned within 5° of Earth's orbital plane - a coincidence with probability ~1 in 500.
Improbable Planetary Encounters
Passes within tens of millions of km of Venus, Mars, and Jupiter - probability ≲0.005%.
Perihelion Acceleration Surge
Suddenly exhibited measurable non-gravitational acceleration of 94 km/day² at perihelion (3.7σ detection) - completely reversing previous observations of minimal acceleration.
Statistical Discovery Impossibility
We should have found ~100,000 objects like 'Oumuamua before finding one like 3I/ATLAS, yet only 2 previous interstellar objects were detected.
CO₂-Dominant Composition
Plume is 87% carbon dioxide, 9% carbon monoxide, 4% water - unlike typical water-rich comets.
Nickel Without Iron
Contains nickel without iron - similar to industrially-produced nickel alloys, plus cyanide levels that rise with solar proximity.
Extreme Negative Polarization
Shows unprecedented −2.77% polarization with 6.41° inversion angle - never seen in any known comet.
Extreme Mass Loss Event
Lost 13%+ of its total mass near perihelion, equivalent to 5+ billion tons of material, yet no corresponding debris cloud or tail visible.
Missing Cometary Tail Post-Perihelion
Despite massive mass loss, post-perihelion images show no clear cometary tail - defying basic physics of debris dispersal.
5x Brightness Surge
Brightened by factor of 5 in green band with unusual -7.5 power law scaling relative to solar distance.
Color Change to Blue
Turned distinctly bluer than the Sun post-perihelion - an unprecedented color shift pattern for any known object.
Fine-Tuned Earth Approach
December 19, 2025 closest approach (269M km) perfectly timed for optimal observation by ground and space telescopes.
Government "Black Swan Event" Classification
Federal monitoring continues despite government shutdown, with congressional briefings scheduled for this unprecedented interstellar visitor.