Avi Loeb highlights a new strange anomaly in interstellar comet 3I/Atlas that raises fresh questions for scientists

​Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas has been in the news for many months now. Scientists everywhere are studying it because it is only the third known object to visit our solar system from another star system. Almost every week, some new detail about this comet is found. Now, Harvard professor Avi Loeb has pointed out another strange thing about it, and many people are talking about it.

This new point is about how close the comet will go to Jupiter in March 2026. Loeb has said that the comet’s path lines up in a very unusual way with an important area of Jupiter’s gravity. This match is so close that he thinks it is something worth paying attention to.

The comet’s path almost perfectly matches Jupiter’s “Hill radius”

Loeb explained that on March 16, 2026, 3I/Atlas will pass near Jupiter. NASA scientists calculate the comet’s path using data collected from observatories all around the world. Their best estimate right now is that the comet will come as close as 53.445 million kilometres from Jupiter.

Now, there is a space area around each planet called the Hill radius. This is the zone where a planet’s gravity is stronger than the pull from the Sun. If any small object enters this zone, the planet can pull it in or even keep it in orbit.

For Jupiter, the Hill radius on that date is calculated to be 53.502 million kilometres.

This means:

• Jupiter’s Hill radius: 53.502 million km
• Closest distance of comet: 53.445 million km

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These two numbers are almost the same. The difference is extremely small.

Loeb said this is not normal. Matches like this are very rare. Based on the numbers, he said the chance of this happening randomly is about 1 in 26,000. This is why he called it a new “anomaly” or a strange detail.

Why this looks odd to some scientists

Scientists already know that the comet has a tiny “non-gravitational push.” This means that besides gravity, something else slightly changes the comet’s path. Most likely, this push comes from gas jets coming out of the comet.

Loeb said this small push adjusted the comet’s path just enough to make it match Jupiter’s Hill radius perfectly. If the push was a little more or a little less, the match would not happen.

This is why he asked:

Why did the comet get pushed in such a perfect way?

He also noted that the push likely happened when the comet was behind the Sun, at a time when no telescope on Earth could see it. Because of this, scientists have no images or data from that moment.

Loeb said we should not ignore such details.

What scientists may check next

In 2026, when the comet is closer to Jupiter, spacecraft like NASA’s Juno might spot anything unusual—like small objects, fragments, or something new orbiting Jupiter. If something new is found, scientists will study it.

But it is also possible that nothing unusual will appear, and the comet will behave like a normal natural object.

For now, Loeb’s new point adds one more unusual detail to the long list of questions about 3I/Atlas. More information will come as the comet moves through our solar system. Scientists will continue watching it closely to understand what makes it so different.

The comet is still on its journey, and more answers may come in the months ahead.