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Andrew Zeck's avatar

Hasn’t it been determined that 3I/ATLAS has a large anti-tail?

TheSentinel's avatar

Yes, but "anti-tail" is just a safe word for "Sunward Jet."

Physically, it is a jet pointing toward the Sun.

The smoking gun is the shape. The object spins every 16 hours. If this was a natural leak, the jet would spiral like a garden hose as it spun. Instead, it stays in a straight line.

To keep a jet pointed at the Sun while the object spins requires active steering, a gimbal. It's not a tail it's a thruster.