Greenbelt: NASA on Wednesday released new images of 3I/ATLAS, confirming that the interstellar object is a comet, putting to rest weeks of speculation that had intensified during the recent US government shutdown.

According to Anadolu Agency, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya, during a livestreamed briefing in Greenbelt, Maryland, stated that while the agency is eager to find signs of life in the universe, all evidence suggests that 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet. Kshatriya emphasized that the object possesses all the characteristics of a comet, dismissing any notions of it being an alien craft.

NASA officials pointed out that the temporary government shutdown had delayed their ability to address early online claims concerning the object, which had recently passed Mars. Since then, scientists have employed over a dozen space- and ground-based instruments, including the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes, orbiters around Mars, and two European Space Agency satellites, to study the object in detail.

Nicola Fox, head of NASA's Science Mission Directorate, confirmed that the behavior of 3I/ATLAS aligns with that of a comet. "We certainly haven't seen any technosignatures or anything from it that would lead us to believe it was anything other than a comet," Fox said, adding that it was intriguing for the world to speculate alongside NASA.

First detected in July by a Chilean telescope, 3I/ATLAS is considered to predate the solar system. NASA scientist Tom Statler previously described it as a glimpse into the deep past, predating the formation of Earth and the sun.

The comet is currently moving away from the solar system, with its closest approach to Earth expected in mid-December at a distance of 167 million miles (269 million kilometers). Sky-watchers may have the opportunity to observe it before dawn using binoculars or a telescope.