Comet from beyond our solar system did not have alien technology, scientists say

The SETI Institute announced on Wednesday that extensive radio observations of interstellar comet 3I/Atlas found no evidence of extraterrestrial technology. Using its telescope in Northern California, the team scanned the comet for over seven hours in July, identifying nearly 74 million narrow-band signals, but only 200 remained after excluding Earth-based interference—all linked to human satellites or ground technology. The comet, discovered last summer, is the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system, all deemed natural. NASA spacecraft tracked it as it passed Mars in October at a distance of 19 million miles (30 million kilometers) and reached its closest point to Earth in December at 167 million miles (269 million kilometers). SETI’s findings were published in the *Astronomical Journal*, emphasizing the importance of continued searches for technosignatures. Co-author Valeria Garcia Lopez of Furman University noted that the results highlight current detection capabilities, stressing the need for persistent monitoring. Lead author Sofia Sheikh pointed out that NASA’s Voyager probes—now drifting between stars—serve as proof that interstellar objects can carry human technology, reinforcing the plausibility of detecting artificial signals elsewhere. 3I/Atlas, now over 1 billion miles away and heading back into interstellar space, is estimated to measure between 1,444 feet (440 meters) and 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) in size. Scientists believe it may be as old as 11 billion years, older than the sun itself. The comet’s natural composition and lack of artificial signals align with the other two known interstellar objects, reinforcing the rarity of technologically advanced interstellar visitors.