A precise geometric pattern emerges in new data, pushing the object beyond routine comet explanations.
[USA HERALD] – The newest processed imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope adds a sharp and unexpected wrinkle to the unfolding story of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. Independent image processing by Toni Scarmato, spanning observations from late November through late December, reveals behavior that is not chaotic, not random, and not easily dismissed as observational artifact. Instead, the data show a system becoming quieter while simultaneously becoming more organized—a combination that is difficult to ignore.
• The object’s activity is declining, not increasing, as it evolves.
• A three-jet inner structure emerges with near-equal angular separation.
• A long, narrow anti-tail remains stable far longer than expected.
The moment is easy to miss if one only looks at the largest scales. On distances approaching 100,000 kilometers, 3I/ATLAS presents a familiar sight: a dominant anti-tail jet directed sunward, consistent with dust grains pushed back along the object’s trajectory by solar radiation pressure. This behavior fits squarely within known comet physics and, by itself, would not merit unusual attention.