NASA's website is offline due to a government shutdown, hindering updates on the mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. While Mars probes like Mars Express and ExoMars are poised to capture close-up data of the object passing Mars, NASA's silence leaves scientists eager for answers about its unusual composition and trajectory. Experts debate whether it's an alien artifact or a unique comet, with new observations expected to shed light.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.