Just up on the IAU (International Astronomical Union) home page:
www.iau.org/IAU/News/Ann2026/Comet-3IAtlas.aspx
-, 23 Feb 2026 IAU Combats Misinformation on Interstellar Object Comet 3I/Atlas
Not very fast-reacting, those IAU media specialists. Still, it’s quite good and handy to have our highest, most authoritative body put their foot down. You can link to this whenever you hear some doubter or other ATLAS speculator. (The hardcore conspiracy theorists, however, they’ll just dig their heels in at the mention of “international” and “union”.)
The page itself is nice and short, but that means there can’t be much substance to it. I applaud them for knowing their audience: a non-scientist can only be expected to read so much. Instead, the link I give above continues on at a second URL:
iauoutreach.org/comet-3I/ATLAS
Together, the pages show the IAU “aims to inform the public and media while minimizing the effect of sensationalist rumors and false information circulating online.” Share them with friends and family.
(And yes, it took willpower on my part to say “pap”, and not a different word.)