New York, November 24: Fresh online footage of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has sparked a wave of speculation, with some observers suggesting the comet may be showing signs of spinning, developing dust rings, or shedding detached shells. The claims, circulating across social media, amateur astronomy channels, and space-watching forums, have generated excitement but remain unverified by any scientific agency.

A series of recent posts shared images and videos attributed to observers, including Ray’s Astrophotography, NASA trackers, ESA teams, and independent imagers such as Diego San Araujo. Some users claimed the latest frames show a rotating structure reminiscent of unusual coma behavior once recorded by ESA’s ExoMars orbiter. Others interpreted stacked images as evidence of multiple objects “orbiting” a central point, an effect astronomers say could easily be caused by shifting dust jets, changing coma brightness, or image processing artifacts. 3I/ATLAS is a Comet, Not Aliens, NASA Says.

Is 3I/ATLAS Spinning? Viral Claim Swirls Online Debate

User Claims 3I/ATLAS Is 'Spinning'

Despite the online excitement, none of the suggested spinning or structural anomalies have been confirmed. NASA and ESA have issued no statements supporting the claims.

What We Know About 3I/ATLAS

Discovered on July 1, 2025, by NASA’s ATLAS survey telescope in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object to enter our solar system. Its sharply hyperbolic trajectory, a path that does not loop around the Sun, marks it as a visitor from beyond the solar neighborhood, following 1I/ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. What Is 3I/ATLAS Interstellar Comet? Is It an Alien Ship? Will It Hit Earth on October 30? Here's What NASA Has Revealed.

Astronomers stress that despite its unusual origin, the comet behaves as expected for an interstellar object and poses no threat to Earth. Travelling at more than 210,000 km/h, it is moving too fast to be captured by the Sun’s gravity and will leave the solar system permanently after its brief passage.

Where, and When, to See It

3I/ATLAS passed its closest point to the Sun on October 30, 2025, and is currently shifting back into the predawn sky. Observers with medium-sized telescopes may spot it low on the eastern horizon in the early morning hours throughout November and December, though it remains far too faint to see with the naked eye.

For now, the swirling debate over whether 3I/ATLAS is “spinning” remains rooted in speculation. Astronomers say upcoming high-resolution data from NASA should help determine whether the comet’s appearance is the result of genuine rotational dynamics or simply the natural quirks of a dusty, fast-moving, interstellar visitor.

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TruLY Score 2 – Unverified | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 2 on LatestLY. It relies on a single source or posts by social media users, with no independent verification. The content should be viewed with caution and should not be shared without further validation from credible sources.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 24, 2025 11:23 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).