Scientists scanning 3I/ATLAS found no credible radio signals

Breakthrough Listen used the Green Bank Telescope to scan 3I/ATLAS near its Dec. 18 close approach and reported no credible narrowband radio technosignatures; initial candidates were traced to human-made interference.

A team with the Breakthrough Listen program scanned the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS for artificial radio signals as it passed near Earth. They used the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope and observed on December 18. The authors reported no credible narrowband radio technosignatures. The study has not yet been peer reviewed. Key findings: - Breakthrough Listen observed 3I/ATLAS with the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope as the object neared its closest approach to Earth on Dec. 18. - Observations covered four radio bands and initially produced about 470,000 candidate signals. - Researchers eliminated most candidates after comparisons and reduced the set to nine, which were later ruled out as human-made radio interference. - Two other research groups also conducted searches at different frequencies and reported no credible artificial radio signals. - The study's authors noted that there is currently no evidence that interstellar objects are anything other than natural, while saying continued study is warranted given the small sample size. Summary: The search found no credible artificial radio signals from 3I/ATLAS, and the remaining candidates were attributed to terrestrial interference. 3I/ATLAS is generally interpreted by astronomers as an interstellar comet and is now heading back to interstellar space. The study is not yet peer reviewed, and researchers say they will continue analyzing the data and studying future interstellar objects.