New strange behaviors in comet 3i/Atlas give Avi Loeb more reasons to raise its Loeb scale rating

​Comet 3I/ATLAS has been getting a lot of attention lately because it keeps showing signs that don’t fully fit what we normally expect from a comet. Avi Loeb, a well-known Harvard astrophysicist, created something called the Loeb Scale to help scientists talk about unusual space objects without jumping to wild ideas. This scale goes from 1 to 10.

A Level 4 rating means the object is strange but still most likely natural.

A Level 5 rating is where natural explanations start feeling weak, and scientists begin to wonder if something more unusual might be going on.

Until now, Loeb has placed 3I/ATLAS at Level 4. But new images and new observations from the last few weeks are making people question if it may finally be moving toward Level 5.

Unusual patterns and a shape that doesn’t change

One of the main things that has caught scientists’ attention is the way the comet seems to show clear spinning wave patterns inside the cloud around it. These waves appear to move in a smooth, repeated motion, and this is not something seen in normal comets.

Even older photos taken weeks apart seem to show the comet holding the same shape each time. Most comets change a lot because they are made of loose ice and dust that break or melt as they move.

But 3I/ATLAS looks steady, almost as if it has some kind of firm outer layer. This repeated shape is one of the reasons people are watching it so closely.

A tiny push that is hard to explain

The comet also seems to be getting a small extra push that is not coming from gravity alone. Some comets do get pushed when gas escapes from inside them, so this is not shocking on its own. But here, the timing and pattern of this push connect with the other strange features, making it harder to ignore.

A tail that behaves differently

Another thing scientists noticed is the comet’s sun-facing tail, also called an anti-tail. These can happen in rare cases, but the one on 3I/ATLAS lines up perfectly with its rotation pattern and changes slowly in a way that feels very controlled and neat.

Another comet, R2 SWAN, is now showing a similar kind of tail, which adds even more curiosity to the situation.

Unusual material inside the comet

Recent observations also show that the comet has more nickel than usual and very little iron. For a comet getting close to the Sun, this is not what scientists expect. This kind of mix hints that the comet may be made of material that is not common in our solar system.

So, is it time for Level 5

Level 5 on the Loeb Scale doesn’t mean the comet is artificial. It simply means the object is unusual enough that natural explanations are starting to feel stretched.

Right now, 3I/ATLAS shows:

• a steady, repeated shape
• spinning wave patterns
• a rare anti-tail
• an unusual mix of materials
• and a tiny push in its motion that is still not fully understood

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None of this proves anything, but together, these signs make 3I/ATLAS one of the most interesting interstellar objects ever seen.

Whether it moves to Level 5 or not, the comet is now challenging the very scale created to study objects like it — and reminding scientists how much we still have to learn about the universe.

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