A viral image taken by an amateur astronomer has triggered uproar online after viewers claimed it looked sharper and more revealing than NASA’s estimated $30 billion array of spacecraft studying the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS.
The photo, captured by YouTuber Dobsonian Power, appears to show a dark, structured interior — leading some to leap to dramatic conclusions about alien technology and artificial objects drifting through our Solar System.
Experts say none of it is real.
According to analysts and space-science writers at i3atlas.com, the viral image is the result of inappropriate equipment, aggressive digital enhancement, and processing artefacts that created the illusion of internal structure where none exists.
What NASA’s Actual Images Show
Contrary to viral posts, NASA has not produced a single ‘super-resolution flagship’ image of 3I/ATLAS. Instead, its views come from multiple spacecraft, each designed for different forms of detection.
STEREO
NASA’s STEREO mission captured the comet using image stacking, combining long-exposure frames to reveal a faint, fuzzy orb — exactly what scientists expect from an interstellar comet.
Lucy Mission
Lucy’s L’LORRI camera imaged 3I/ATLAS from hundreds of millions of miles away. Its photos show a diffuse coma and a smudged tail, not a rigid object with sharp contours.
MAVEN (Mars)
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft recorded ultraviolet hydrogen emissions, a signature of water vapour breaking apart — again reinforcing the cometary interpretation.
All professional observations are consistent: 3I/ATLAS behaves like a comet, not a craft.
Why the Amateur Image Misled Millions
The breakdown from i3atlas.com explains that the viral picture was taken with a solar telescope, a tool completely unsuited for capturing faint deep-space objects. The raw data was then extensively enhanced with filters and contrast boosting, which can easily create phantom lines, blocks, and ‘shadows’.
These artefacts were mistaken for interior structure — sparking widespread talk of alien probes and engineered hulls.
As the analysts put it:
‘It’s a textbook case of the wrong equipment and over-processing creating a mystery where none exists.’
As the analysis puts it, the viral image ‘is a perfect example of how the wrong equipment, image‑processing artefacts, and timing can create a mystery where none exists.’
The analysis by i3atlas.com shows that the amateur’s image was taken with a solar telescope and then heavily enhanced through digital processing — precisely the kind of setup scientists warn against when interpreting subtle features.
Scientific Data Confirms the Comet Theory
If there were any hidden machinery, NASA’s spectral data would show it. Instead, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected:
- one of the highest CO₂/H₂O ratios of any comet
- a CO₂-dominated coma
- water ice, carbon monoxide and dust
These signatures match natural ice sublimating — not metal or manufactured material.
The complementary observations from the SPHEREx mission detected strong absorption features for water ice, along with a large, extended CO₂ coma—again inconsistent with a solid, metallic alien probe.
Avi Loeb Voices Scepticism — Again
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, well known for his unconventional interpretations, has questioned NASA’s transparency. Citing a HiRISE image taken from Mars orbit on 2 October 2025, Loeb claimed NASA downplayed the photo.
Loeb suggested NASA may be avoiding anomalies, writing:
‘There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.’
NASA has not confirmed any withheld data.
Why 3I/ATLAS Is Still a Big Deal
Despite the controversy, 3I/ATLAS remains a rare and scientifically valuable visitor. It is only the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected.
As it moves through our solar system, NASA and other international observatories are racing to collect as much data as possible.
The comet’s passage near Mars allowed missions such as MAVEN and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to image it at relatively close range.
These views, albeit still low‑resolution, provide insight into its composition and behaviour — information that could help scientists understand its origin and what it might reveal about other star systems.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
