The interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, once speculated by some—including Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb—to be alien technology, has been shown to behave like a typical comet.

A new study in Research Notes of the AAS finds that its unusual motion is caused by natural “outgassing,” where gas and dust expelled from its surface give it small rocket-like pushes, altering its speed, orbit, and spin.

Measurements using NASA’s Psyche spacecraft and ESA’s Mars Trace Gas Orbiter indicate its acceleration, mass, and size are comparable to small solar system comets.

Unlike ‘Oumuamua, which had unexplained acceleration, 3I/ATLAS’s movements are fully consistent with cometary behavior, Chron has reported.

As it approaches its closest point to Earth—167 million miles away—astronomers continue observing its brightening, green-hued coma and distinctive jets, offering a rare look at material from another star system.