The silence was deafening, and for those prone to cosmic conspiracy theories, it was practically a confirmation. Was it an alien probe? A messenger from a distant civilisation? The internet was ablaze with speculation. Finally, after a period of intense quiet, NASA has pulled back the curtain, releasing a treasure trove of previously unseen images of comet 3I/ATLAS.
While the agency is keen to stress that this interstellar visitor is a natural object, the delay in data—and the object's exotic origins—has only deepened the intrigue surrounding this celestial celebrity.
