NASA Quietly Deploys Planetary Defense Tools After Interstellar Visitor Shows Odd Light Behavior

• NASA Quietly Deploys Planetary Defense Tools After Interstellar Visitor Shows Odd Light Behavior
  by CHRIS MELORE, US ASSISTANT SCIENCE EDITOR, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/
  NASA has quietly made a major move to defend the planet after the mysterious interstellar object displayed more strange and unexplainable behavior. The supposed comet, dubbed 3I/ATLAS, has just been added to the list of threats tracked by a United Nations-endorsed group focused on planetary defense against near-Earth objects.
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  The International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) works alongside institutions across the world that detect, track, and study near-Earth objects (NEOs) to assess potential impact threats to Earth. 3I/ATLAS is the first interstellar object ever added to the list, triggering a worldwide drill aimed at improving detection skills for space rocks and preparing Earth for a potential incoming threat.
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  On Tuesday, officials with IAWN admitted that the object was causing ‘unique challenges’ for predicting its trajectory and decided to add 3I/ATLAS to the Comet Astrometry Campaign. The object has displayed several unusual features that defy the typical behavior of comets, including an ‘anti-tail,’ a jet of particles that points toward the Sun rather than away from it.
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  According to the release, scientists will be running a special training exercise from November 27, 2025, to January 27, 2026. Telescopes and tracking systems around the world will focus on 3I/ATLAS to refine methods for pinpointing its exact location in the sky.
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