Astronomers have confirmed that the mysterious radio signals detected from the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS are natural in origin, ending weeks of speculation that it could be an alien spacecraft. The discovery, made using the MeerKAT radio telescope array in South Africa, initially caused a stir when the object appeared to emit a distinct radio pattern not seen before in interstellar visitors.
For a short time, theories spread across social media that 3I/ATLAS might be a probe sent by another civilisation. The claims were fuelled by comparisons to 2017's Oumuamua, another interstellar object once suspected by some to be artificial. Scientists, however, urged caution from the start, noting that the signal was most likely caused by a natural chemical process rather than technology.
