India, Jan. 3 -- Astronomers recently carried out a radio scan of the interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS as it passed near Earth. The object, which originated outside the solar system, has drawn attention since its discovery earlier this year.

Questions around its nature intensified after some researchers publicly suggested it could be artificial. While most scientists described 3I/ATLAS as a comet, the debate prompted calls for direct observational evidence.

In response, astronomers conducted a targeted search for radio signals that could indicate technological activity. The observations were timed to coincide with the object's closest approach to Earth.

According to Gizmodo, the search was conducted by the Breakthrough Listen prog...