- Professor Avi Loeb suggests interstellar object 3I/ATLAS may be an engineered probe not natural
- 3I/ATLAS was detected in early July by the Deep Random Survey telescope in Chile
- The object glows ahead, unlike typical comets that have tails trailing behind
A senior Harvard astronomer has reignited speculation about the origins of a vast interstellar object hurtling through the solar system. He has suggested that it might be an engineered probe instead of a natural phenomenon.
Professor Avi Loeb, who heads Harvard's astronomy department, told CNN on August 7 that the Manhattan-sized body, officially designated 3I/ATLAS, was detected in early July by the Deep Random Survey telescope in Chile.
Comet created by alien technology?
While NASA has said that the comet doesn't pose a threat to the Earth, Loeb believes its characteristics raise questions about whether it could have been created by an intelligent civilisation. In a blog post, he wrote, “Is 3I/ATLAS alien technology?”
He told CNN, “Usually, for comets, you see a tail trailing behind the object. Here, the glow is actually in front of it. We've never seen such a thing. A comet doesn't glow in front.”
Loeb described the feature as “puzzling” in another blog post and speculated on its potential mission. “(3I/ATLAS) may come to save us or destroy us. We'd better be ready for both options and check whether all interstellar objects are rocks,” he said.
NASA says the comet will stay at least 1.8 astronomical units away (around 270 million kilometres) and reach its closest point to the Sun on October 30, 2025.
Why is this comet different?
Comet 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed object to originate from beyond the solar system, according to NASA. It has been identified as interstellar due to the hyperbolic shape of its orbit, which does not loop around the Sun.
Two new Hubble Space Telescope images, taken on July 21, appear to show light concentrated ahead of the object rather than behind. In his post, Loeb wrote, “The existence of a glow ahead of 31/ATLAS but no evidence of gas molecules is puzzling.”
The astrophysicist also pointed to its unusual path. Speaking to CNN, he said, “It lies in the plane of the orbits of the planets around the Sun to within five degrees. It will arrive closest to the sun when the Earth is on the opposite side. We won't be able to observe it. But that's the perfect time for it to manoeuvre.”
According to Loeb's recent paper, that trajectory could allow the object to discreetly study planetary motion within our system. The closest approach to the Sun is expected on October 31.
