Science Friday Why Astronomers Are Excited About Comet 3I/ATLAS’ Close Approach
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Dec 19, 2025 
Join Dr. Stefanie Milam from NASA, who studies comets as a project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, and Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, an astrophysicist and CEO of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. They discuss the excitement surrounding comet 3I/Atlas, a rare interstellar visitor. Topics include its chemical makeup, the challenges of observing it, and the diversity of planetary systems it represents. They also explore the impracticality of sending the ISS into deep space and why public interest in aliens isn't all it's cracked up to be.
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Composition Reveals Origin Clues
- Stefanie Milam says studying 3I/Atlas’s composition reveals the chemistry of its parent planetary system.
- Isotope ratios further pinpoint the object's galactic formation environment.
Precision Pointing Is Critical For Webb
- James Webb observations require precise sky positions because 3I/Atlas moves quickly and JWST has a tiny field of view.
- Ground telescopes worldwide are refining the orbit so Webb won't miss the target.
No Sign Of Extraterrestrial Technology
- Stephanie Milam finds nothing atypical in 3I/Atlas’s activity or composition so far.
- Hakeem Oluseyi calls the chance it's an alien craft vanishingly small, though microbial possibilities remain remote.