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NASA Released The First Mars Image Of 3I/ATLAS

Detail of the original photo, taken by NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover mission on October 4 at the local mean solar time of 21:33:39. (Photo: @UAPWatchers)

By Middle Land Staff

October 6, 2025
3:50 pm
Los Angeles, CA

3I/ATLAS has been spotted passing near Mars, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Right Navigation Camera. The object appears as a massive cylindrical shape in some of the photos, leading to speculation that it could be more than just a comet. Enhanced images circulating online show the object glowing green as it moves closer to the Sun, further fueling intrigue. While many scientists insist 3I/ATLAS is simply a comet, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb remains open to other possibilities. He was asked by Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna to review the images. Loeb explained that the object’s stretched appearance is likely due to the rover’s camera stacking images over time, creating an optical illusion. He concluded the object is probably smaller and rounder than it appears, though still possibly over 28 miles wide. However, others disagree.

While many scientists insist 3I/ATLAS is simply a comet, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb remains open to other possibilities. He was asked by Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna to review the images. Loeb explained that the object’s stretched appearance is likely due to the rover’s camera stacking images over time, creating an optical illusion. He concluded the object is probably smaller and rounder than it appears, though still possibly over 28 miles wide.

However, others disagree. Biophysicist Dr. Horace Drew challenged Loeb’s interpretation, arguing the green-glowing, elongated shape could indicate an interstellar spacecraft coated in nickel—a method also used in human-made space technology. Drew also pointed to similar telescope images from amateur astronomers on Earth, claiming they support the idea that 3I/ATLAS is not just a comet.

Further clarity may come from a higher-resolution image taken by a different Mars camera, HiRISE, which is onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. That image has not yet been released, but Loeb hopes it will help determine the object’s true shape and composition. He previously theorized that 3I/ATLAS might be a second alien probe, following the odd interstellar visitor ‘Oumuamua that passed Earth in 2017.

In the meantime, the lack of response from major space agencies—NASA, ESA, and China—has led to growing speculation online. NASA’s current shutdown due to government funding issues, delays from the European Space Agency, and China’s silence have been interpreted by some as signs of a potential cover-up. On social media, users are questioning the global silence, suggesting that “something is happening behind closed doors” with 3I/ATLAS.