• IPN astronomer Wilder Chicana Nuncebay proposes a new classification for this interstellar phenomenon, which displayed behavior outside established parameters
• Throughout this month, the scientific community will collect as many images and data as possible to analyze them in depth and reach firmer conclusions, the specialist explained.
The international scientific community should consider new parameters to classify celestial bodies such as 3I/ATLAS, which astonished space agencies and observatories around the world by exhibiting behavior unlike that of previously studied comets and asteroids, stated Wilder Chicana Nuncebay, astronomer at the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium (PLEE) of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN).
Chicana Nuncebay explained that as 3I/ATLAS becomes visible again—after completing half of its journey through the Solar System and reaching perihelion, its closest point to the Sun—leading observatories worldwide will gather extensive imagery and data to analyze the phenomenon and draw conclusions about this interstellar visitor.
According to the IPN expert, current parameters for classifying comets and asteroids are based on what is known about our Solar System. However, since 3I/ATLAS presents distinct interstellar characteristics, it is necessary to consider a new category for these types of celestial objects.
The studies and analyses conducted by the IPN on such phenomena align with the institution’s commitment to scientific outreach, as promoted by its Director General, Arturo Reyes Sandoval, in accordance with the priorities of the Government led by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and the guidelines set by Secretary of Public Education Mario Delgado Carrillo.
Chicana Nuncebay noted that reclassifying 3I/ATLAS could establish new criteria for future interstellar objects visiting our Solar System. He recalled that ‘Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019) were also of interstellar origin, placing them in a similar category to 3I/ATLAS.
“We know many asteroids and comets within our Solar System, but 3I/ATLAS is only the third interstellar object detected. What we learn from studying it could serve as a reference for future discoveries of this kind, which likely won’t fit into the existing classifications of comets or asteroids,” he emphasized.
The astronomer also condemned the spread of false information and AI-generated fraudulent images of 3I/ATLAS circulating on social media and online platforms, which have been used to create misinformation, fear, and paranoia amid global media exposure.
Finally, Chicana Nuncebay advocated for strengthening basic scientific research in countries like Mexico, considering it essential for generating knowledge not only in astronomy but also in chemistry, physics, biology, and other fields of science for the benefit of humanity.
He concluded that in the coming days, 3I/ATLAS will continue its trajectory, moving farther away from the Solar System. “We will not see it again, as its path will carry it into other regions of our galaxy,” he said.
For more information, visit www.ipn.mx.
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