With 3I/ATLAS difficult to see in most telescopes, it’s a good time for theoretical astronomy:
Astrophysics > Earth and Planetary Astrophysics arxiv.org/abs/2510.26308
[Submitted on 30 Oct 2025]
Maggiolo, R. Dhooghe, F. Gronoff, G. Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: Evidence for Galactic Cosmic Ray Processing
arxiv.org/abs/2510.25945
[Submitted on 29 Oct 2025]
Yaginuma, A. Taylor, A. G.Seligman, D. Z. Potential Thermal Profiles of The Third Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
As I’ve said before (and before), arXiv requires some context and caution. This is a preprint site, with some of its posted papers approved but still in paperwork limbo. Some papers bill themselves as “submitted to…”, which could or could not mean submitted and approved, or submitted and rejected. And some papers aren’t even to that level.
Here, specifically, I’ll point out that these two papers are explicitly speculative, where plenty of other ATLAS arXiv entries are straightforward observing reports. We have a ‘population’ of three interstellar objects, not much of a population and not good statistical fodder. We will see in time if these two speculations bear out- either after perihelion (i. e., late Nov/Dec) or with additional interstellar objects (Vera Rubin, we’re all on the edge of our seats).