NASA scientists are in shock after the James Webb Telescope detected that interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has mysteriously changed its course toward Mars, accelerating as if guided by an unseen force — raising fears that it may not be a natural body at all.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected something so extraordinary that even NASA’s most seasoned astronomers are struggling to explain it.

The interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS, first identified in early 2025 as a distant, harmless comet passing through the outer Solar System, appears to have shifted its trajectory — and is now heading toward Mars.

What began as a routine observation has quickly evolved into one of the most perplexing cosmic mysteries of the decade.

According to initial data from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), the object’s light signature abruptly doubled in brightness just days ago, accompanied by a measurable increase in velocity.

Even more unsettling, orbital tracking from multiple observatories, including those in Hawaii and Chile, confirmed that 3I/ATLAS is no longer following its predicted path.

“It’s not supposed to do that,” said Dr.Elena Varga, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

“Comets don’t change direction on their own.

Whatever we’re witnessing defies every principle of celestial mechanics we know.”

The object’s strange behavior was first flagged on October 27, when data analysts noticed small but consistent deviations in its motion.

By October 29, the trajectory had shifted enough to suggest that 3I/ATLAS was curving inward toward the orbit of Mars, roughly 50 million miles from where it was projected to be.

The acceleration, though subtle, could not be explained by gravity or solar radiation pressure alone.

Adding to the mystery, the spectral data from Webb revealed something never before seen in an interstellar object — fluctuating light patterns that hint at structural symmetry, almost as if the body were rotating with deliberate precision.

“We’re observing periodic pulses in the reflected light,” noted Dr.

Raj Patel, a physicist working with the European Space Agency.

“It’s almost rhythmic, like a signal — or at least something with regular intent.”

Behind closed doors, NASA has reportedly begun emergency consultations with both the European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan’s JAXA, aiming to coordinate further tracking efforts.

Though officials have not made any public statement suggesting extraterrestrial involvement, multiple insiders have described the internal atmosphere as “uneasy.”

“This could still turn out to be a natural phenomenon,” said a NASA communications officer who spoke under condition of anonymity.

“But we’ve never seen a natural body accelerate toward a planetary orbit.

The odds are staggering.”

3I/ATLAS, named after the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) that first spotted it, is only the third known interstellar object to pass through our Solar System, after ‘Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019).

Both of those generated global debate over their origins, especially after ‘Oumuamua’s unusual cigar-like shape and inexplicable acceleration led to speculation that it might have been an artificial probe.

The parallels have not gone unnoticed.

“This feels like déjà vu,” said Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who famously argued that ‘Oumuamua might have been technological in nature.

“If 3I/ATLAS is changing course in a controlled way, it’s either the product of physics we don’t yet understand — or technology that isn’t ours.”

For now, Webb continues to monitor the object in near-infrared wavelengths, while the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and ESA’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter have been instructed to scan for any unusual emissions or signatures in the planet’s vicinity.

NASA expects to release new telemetry data within the week.

As for the possibility of a collision, current models suggest that while 3I/ATLAS’s new path will take it alarmingly close to Mars, it is unlikely to impact the planet directly.

Still, the gravitational interaction could produce observable effects — and perhaps, more clues about what’s driving its mysterious motion.

Outside scientific circles, the discovery has ignited a wave of speculation online.

Social media has exploded with theories ranging from alien probes to secret propulsion experiments.

Hashtags like #ATLASShift and #WebbSignal have trended for days, while conspiracy forums buzz with claims that the government already knows what 3I/ATLAS really is.

For scientists, however, the tone remains cautious — and fascinated.

“If this is natural, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Dr.Varga.

“If it’s not…then we’re looking at first contact without realizing it.”

As the world watches and waits, the next few weeks could reshape humanity’s understanding of its place in the universe.

For now, all eyes — and telescopes — are on Mars, where something not quite natural seems to be drawing near.