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3I/ATLAS mystery: Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and US President Donald Trump and an image of the bewildering interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. (Image: Instagram and X/@konstructivizm) 3I/ATLAS: US Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, has once again turned her attention to the skies, this time demanding answers from NASA about a mysterious interstellar comet passing through the solar system. In a letter sent on October 31 to acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy, the Florida Republican urged the agency to release more data and imagery related to 3I/ATLAS, a comet that recently passed within roughly 130 million miles of Earth. She tweeted the same, asking him “can you please see letter below. We would like to see images of 3IATLAS.”— RepLuna (@RepLuna) “This information is of great importance to advancing our understanding of interstellar visitors and their interaction with our solar system,” Luna wrote.Comet 3/ATLAS and scientific curiosityThe comet, which NASA says originated outside our solar system, has captured the attention of astronomers worldwide. As reported by The New York Times, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter detected signs of ice at its nucleus, and studies suggest it is primarily composed of nickel alloy.These findings have fueled speculation about the comet’s origins and, in some circles, whether it could carry clues about extraterrestrial life.3/ATLAS needs more observation, says LunaLuna, who has previously raised questions about UFOs in congressional hearings, pressed NASA to prioritize further study of the comet using the Juno mission near Jupiter.Live Events“I encourage NASA to fund additional observations of 3I/ATLAS by the Juno mission near Jupiter, utilizing all available instruments, including its radio sensors,” she wrote. “Observations from this vantage point could yield valuable insights into the object’s composition, trajectory, and possible interaction with the solar environment.”3I/ATLAS's mystery and scientific skepticismThe unusual comet has also drawn attention beyond Washington. On his podcast, Joe Rogan asked Elon Musk if the object’s path near Jupiter, Mars, and Venus could suggest an alien connection.“It’d be a very sort of heavy spaceship to make it all out of nickel,” Musk replied, while not entirely ruling out the possibility.Meanwhile, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who previously theorized that another interstellar object, ʻOumuamua, might have been of artificial origin, praised Luna’s request in a Medium post. He said releasing NASA’s data was critical for scientific research, noting that the government shutdown may have delayed its publication. “We should not hold science hostage to the shutdown politics of the day,” Loeb wrote. “The scientific community would have greatly benefited from the dissemination of this time-sensitive data.”Who is Anna Paulina Luna?Anna Paulina Luna (née Mayerhofer; born May 6, 1989) is an American politician, US Air Force veteran, and Republican congresswoman representing Florida’s 13th congressional district since 2023. She made history as the first Mexican-American woman elected to Congress from Florida.Before entering politics, Luna served as an airfield management specialist in the Air National Guard from 2009 to 2014, earning the Air Force Achievement Medal for her service. After completing her military career, she graduated from the University of West Florida in 2017.Luna first ran for Congress in 2020, challenging Democrat Charlie Crist but losing narrowly. She returned in 2022, winning the seat with the endorsement of President Donald Trump, and was reelected in 2024.In Congress, Luna serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.What is Comet 3I/ATLAS? Comet 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet, meaning it originated from outside our solar system. NASA confirmed it as the third known interstellar object to pass through our cosmic neighborhood. The comet reportedly contains nickel and traces of ice, sparking interest among astronomers about its composition and origin.Why is Comet 3I/ATLAS attracting so much attention? 3I/ATLAS has drawn global curiosity because of its unusual makeup and potential connection to interstellar space. Some researchers, including Harvard’s Avi Loeb, say studying it could expand our understanding of interstellar visitors and whether such objects might carry clues about alien life or the early universe. What did US Rep. Anna Paulina Luna ask NASA about 3I/ATLAS? Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna wrote to NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy on October 31, urging the agency to release more data and imagery of 3I/ATLAS. She called the information “of great importance to advancing our understanding of interstellar visitors and their interaction with our solar system.”Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News on3I/ATLAS cometNASA interstellar cometAnna Paulina LunaJuno mission Jupiterinterstellar visitors (Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News on3I/ATLAS cometNASA interstellar cometAnna Paulina LunaJuno mission Jupiterinterstellar visitors(Catch all the US News, UK News, Canada News, International Breaking News Events, and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily International News Updates....moreless
