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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shows "Extreme Negative Polarization". What Does That Mean?
IFL Science ^ | October 06, 2025 | James Felton

Posted on 10/06/2025 11:33:25 AM PDT by Red Badger

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To: Red Badger

As an astronomer said the other day, “The universe is full of stuff we’ve never seen. We have to stop acting so surprised when we see them for the first time.”


41 posted on 10/06/2025 1:03:22 PM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: decal
“’Negative Polarization’. What Does That Mean?”

A serious surplus of electrons.

42 posted on 10/06/2025 1:12:17 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: Red Badger

Imagine a plane formed by the position of the comet, Earth and Sun. If the polarity of the sunlight reflected by the comet is observed to be perpendicular to the plane, the light is positively polarized. If parallel, the light is negatively polarized.

Pretty good explanation of a complicated property of reflected light. Good science writers are rare these days.


43 posted on 10/06/2025 1:14:28 PM PDT by thepoodlebites (and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.)
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To: Big Red Badger

“Pork Lips Now” did too, where the end is at the beginning, but the beginning is the end.


44 posted on 10/06/2025 1:15:28 PM PDT by GingisK
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To: decal

He’s givin it all he’s got!


45 posted on 10/06/2025 1:33:14 PM PDT by Salamander (Please visit my profile page to help me go home again. https://www.givesendgo.com/GCRRD)
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To: Red Badger

That it is depressed and may need medical intervention.


46 posted on 10/06/2025 1:38:01 PM PDT by Jonty30 (Socialism's promises, like a Djinn's wishes to the greedy, lead to punishment when due. )
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To: Red Badger
Unfortunately, and after potentially being hit by a coronal mass ejection, it has now vanished from our view and won't be back in sight until later this year.
First, the Aliens disguised their invasion vessel as a comet. And now it has disappeared!
47 posted on 10/06/2025 1:38:45 PM PDT by citizen (A transgender male competing against women may be male, but he's no man.)
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To: PUGACHEV

nah, that is quantum particle behavoir.

James Mxwell defined the electric and magnetic fields in his signature equations.


48 posted on 10/06/2025 1:47:44 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: tet68

Huygens and others came up with the wave theory.

Einstein and Planck worked on the duality particle-wave theory.


49 posted on 10/06/2025 1:53:14 PM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: Bullish

That’s nothing compared to:

“While 3I’s inversion angle resembles that of rare F-type asteroids and cometary nuclei, the depth of its negative polarization branch is almost twice as large. Extrapolation to very small phase angles indicate a steep polarization slope between phase angles 0–2°, reminiscent of certain small TNOs and Centaurs. While this finding is tentative due to a lack of data at small phase angles, it is consistent with the red spectral slope and evidence of water-ice detections in various independent studies.”


50 posted on 10/06/2025 1:57:51 PM PDT by Lazamataz (I figure if Charlie Kirk can die for free speech, I can be mildly inconvenienced.)
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To: Red Badger

They’re democrats?


51 posted on 10/06/2025 2:00:22 PM PDT by MortMan (Charter member of AAAAA - American Association Against Alliteration Abuse)
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To: Red Badger

I’m not to concerned if it’s an alien craft. It’s taken 50 something years to get here if it’s associated with the WOW signal from the 70s as Avi Loeb seems to think so they aren’t that far advanced. Maybe like 1960s to know ahead of us 👽👽👽


52 posted on 10/06/2025 2:06:52 PM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: maddog55

It’s taken 50 something years to get here if it’s associated with the WOW signal from the 70s as Avi Loeb seems to think so they aren’t that far advanced.

Assuming the WOW signal was not a radar pulse by a mother craft which then launched all three objects - 2I’Borosov was a pathfinder/guide for 3’IAtlas; 1I’Oumuamua was as its name suggests a scout; IMI 2014 was a probe launched directly to Earth.

BTW: not that far advanced - when was the last time an interstellar probe of substantial mass was launched by Earth?


53 posted on 10/06/2025 2:18:14 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: PIF

So apparently sarcasm is something you don’t comprehend. I’ve said it numerous times I won’t spell out sarcasm in the original post... Not a fan of pointing out the obvious.


54 posted on 10/06/2025 2:35:55 PM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: maddog55

With all the idiocy in comments surrounding this subject - not marking /s is leaving it open for being just another stupid comment. I have no idea what you have or have not said in the past.

Sarcasm is not appropriate here in the first place.


55 posted on 10/06/2025 2:54:23 PM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: Lazamataz

Oh... Thanks for clearing that up.


56 posted on 10/06/2025 4:06:00 PM PDT by Bullish (My tagline ran off with another man, but it's ok---- I wasn't married to it.)
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To: Red Badger
"According to the team the polarimetric behavior is "significantly different from all known comets (either interstellar or bound to our Solar System)". "

Considering the age and size of the Universe compared to the time Man has been studying comets, I suspect there's a lot Man doesn't know about comets and other comet-like objects and others non-comet objects hurling through space.

Still, it's a comet.

57 posted on 10/06/2025 4:53:07 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
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To: PIF

Then don’t f’n respond if you think something is a stupid comment and sarcasm is quite common and obvious to those who understand humor.


58 posted on 10/07/2025 4:44:15 AM PDT by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: citizen

Romulans or Klingons and their cloaking device!.....................

Look around Uranus for them to appear!.................


59 posted on 10/07/2025 5:12:38 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: maddog55

I will if I want, troll.


60 posted on 10/07/2025 6:29:57 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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