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MeerKAT Telescope Detects Mysterious Signal from 3I/ATLAS

11/9/2025

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Summary

Story summary

The MeerKAT radio telescope detected a signal from the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, identifying hydroxyl radicals at 1.665 and 1.667 gigahertz.
This is the first radio detection since the object's discovery on July 1, 2025.
Harvard scientist Avi Loeb said the Doppler shift indicates 3I/ATLAS's high speed relative to Earth.
Loeb proposed a possible link to the 1977 Wow! Signal, as both signals seem to originate from similar directions.

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Story summary

The MeerKAT radio telescope detected a signal from the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, identifying hydroxyl radicals at 1.665 and 1.667 gigahertz.
This is the first radio detection since the object's discovery on July 1, 2025.
Harvard scientist Avi Loeb said the Doppler shift indicates 3I/ATLAS's high speed relative to Earth.
Loeb proposed a possible link to the 1977 Wow! Signal, as both signals seem to originate from similar directions.