Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb told Newsmax on Thursday that key “anomalies” surrounding interstellar object 3I/ATLAS remain unresolved, pushing back on acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy’s assertion a night earlier that the object is simply a comet.
Appearing on “Finnerty,” Loeb said that while experts may insist the object is a conventional comet, the scientific method requires clear evidence — not appeals to authority.
“The foundation of science is the humility to learn, not the arrogance of expertise,” Loeb said. “It doesn’t make sense to say, ‘the experts say,’ and therefore you should believe it. It makes sense to say, ‘Here is the evidence, and it’s a comet beyond a reasonable doubt because of this and that.'”
Loeb said that despite claims of certainty, 3I/ATLAS still displays behavior that is difficult to reconcile with a natural object, including seven jets emanating from its surface.
“These jets could be pockets of ice evaporating due to sunlight,” Loeb said. “Or it could be thrusters.”
He added that the key will be measuring the speed and mass flow of the jets.
“I did a calculation that there isn’t enough surface area to a natural comet to accommodate the amount of mass flowing through these jets,” Loeb said. “There is definitely a puzzle here to be resolved.”
On Wednesday night, Duffy told Finnerty that astronomers were confident the object was a comet and argued that its appearance lined up with natural explanations.
“It walks like a comet, talks like a comet, struts like a comet. It’s a comet,” Duffy said.
Duffy also defended the absence of NASA imagery since early October, saying the release of additional photos of 3I/ATLAS had been delayed by manpower shortages during the federal shutdown.
Loeb countered Thursday that the absence of updated photos from the Oct. 2 High Resolution Imager (HiRISE) pass could not all be pinned on the shutdown.
“We’ve had the 45 days since the images were taken,” Loeb said. “There are people involved in the high-rise camera who are not government employees … they definitely had plenty of time.”
Loeb stressed he had “no issue” with Duffy personally, saying he was “basically repeating what people are telling him.” The larger problem, he argued, is government sluggishness.
“It just shows you how sluggish this system of bureaucracy is,” Loeb said. “I don’t necessarily think they’re trying to do something on purpose. It may be just bureaucracy taking over science.”
Loeb said he hopes new imagery will be released “in the coming days,” allowing scientists to determine whether 3I/ATLAS is simply an exotic comet — or something that defies conventional explanation.
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