Avi Loeb: What Is 3I/ATLAS? - Into the Impossible With Brian Keating
Description
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Join us LIVE with Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb for the final verdict on the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, the third confirmed visitor from beyond our solar system. We examine the newly proposed 14th anomaly: the remarkably rare alignment of 3I/ATLAS’s rotation axis within about 8 degrees of the sunward direction at distances greater than 5 AU, a configuration with a probability of less than about 0.5 percent if random.
This alignment has major implications for how we interpret the object’s anti-tail jet geometry, rotational dynamics, and overall physical behavior, adding to a growing list of anomalies that strain standard cometary explanations. Whether you are interested in jets, rotation periods, anti-tail physics, or what these observations imply about natural versus technological origins, this livestream offers a rigorous, evidence-driven deep dive. We will lay out the data, compare competing interpretations, and ask the central question: is 3I/ATLAS simply an unusual comet, or something fundamentally different?
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Run of Show
Intro and context:
Discovery of 3I/ATLAS, orbital properties, and why it has drawn intense attention.
What is an interstellar object:
Comparison with 1I/Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov.
Anomalies 1 through 5:
Brief recap of the earliest reported oddities, including trajectory and activity.
Anti-tail observations and physics:
Explanation of the sunward anti-tail and why it is unusual.
Rotation period and periodic behavior:
Discussion of the roughly 15.5 to 16.2 hour signal and its interpretation.
Recap of the first 13 anomalies:
How they are ranked by likelihood and what they suggest.
The 14th anomaly: rotation-axis alignment:
Geometry, probability estimates, and why this feature stands out.
Possible mechanisms for axis alignment:
Assessment of natural processes versus alternative explanations.
Jet collimation and structure:
Why the sunward jet remains narrow and persistent.
Implications for outgassing models:
Where standard cometary physics succeeds or fails.
Natural versus non-natural scenarios:
Clear comparison of competing hypotheses.
Future observations and missions:
What additional data could resolve the debate.
Audience Q and A:
Live questions with Avi Loeb.
Wrap-up and final thoughts:
Synthesis of the evidence and implications for future research.
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