# Water carries the push

> Still possible: Water sublimating from the nucleus carries most of the push near perihelion, which implies a nucleus 0.7 to 1.2 km in radius.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/answers/ANS0DFQ2MF9XR6J/water-carries-the-push  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[3I/ATLAS](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas)[Which gas carries the push: carbon dioxide, water or carbon monoxide?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/questions/QST0DFQ0T1AWZRC/which-gas-carries-the-push-carbon-dioxide-water-or-carbon)Answer

Answer · 3I/ATLAS

# Water carries the push

Water sublimating from the nucleus carries most of the push near perihelion, which implies a nucleus 0.7 to 1.2 km in radius.

**Still possible** Answers **1** question0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** None pieces of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- The acceleration peaks with water production after perihelion
- A nucleus radius near 1 km

## What would rule it out

- Water from the nucleus surface too little to give the measured acceleration

## Evidence none for · 1 against

[Much of the water came from icy grains, not the nucleus](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/evidence/EVD0DFQ4MVJ784S/much-of-the-water-came-from-icy-grains-not-the-nucleus)

Suggestive

AGAINST

[The orbit fits water, CO2 and CO laws equally well](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/evidence/EVD0DFQ4N6BWVYY/the-orbit-fits-water-co2-and-co-laws-equally-well)

Supported

NEUTRAL

## The questions it answers

[Which gas carries the push: carbon dioxide, water or carbon monoxide?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/questions/QST0DFQ0T1AWZRC/which-gas-carries-the-push-carbon-dioxide-water-or-carbon)

Part of [What pushes 3I/ATLAS off a purely gravitational path?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/questions/QST0DFQ0M0GNENV/what-pushes-3i-atlas-off-a-purely-gravitational-path)

Open2 answers, none ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Water carries the push [Answer ANS0DFQ2MF9XR6J]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DFQ2MF9XR6J
```

Key

**ANS** 0DFQ2MF9XR6J

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Proposed

[Session 1](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/3i-atlas/sessions/SES0DFQC03S98K5/session-1-3i-atlas-opened-the-literature-to-november-2026) · 2 Nov 2026

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