Harvard scientist Avi Loeb has argued that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS could be exhibiting signs of control by an unknown intelligence and there could be sufficient evidence to suggest that. The mystery may deepen on October 29, when the object is expected to make its closest approach to the Sun.
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Is comet 3I/ATLAS artificial?
Loeb told the Daily Mail that if 3I/ATLAS comes out of this blind spot in a completely different place than gravity was taking it, it would be a clear sign the object was artificial and likely powered by some kind of engine.
Though most astronomers have dismissed the idea of an extraterrestrial Loeb argues that many in the scientific community are more focused on protecting their reputations and avoiding criticism than on exploring. The Harvard scientist has warned the public about the comet 3I/ATLAS- regarding a discovery that could potentially change our understanding of the universe.
“Here we are talking about a potential for something that could affect humanity in the future in a dramatic way, and so you shouldn’t apply the same approach of being as conservative as possible,” Loeb explained. “I don’t want to be their therapist, but they’re trying to obviously protect their reputation, not take risks, and also pretend that they know the answer in advance,” he added.
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In August, a study showed detected an unusual nickel plume from the object. Unlike natural comets, which always emit nickel alongside iron, 3I/ATLAS showed the metallic element without any detectable iron. The new study, published by astrophysicists in Chile, found that 3I/ATLAS is shedding nickel at roughly five grams per second and cyanide at 20 grams per second, with both rising sharply as the object moves closer to the sun.
3I/ATLAS not a comet?
Loeb noted that the object’s size offers another hint that it might not be a comet, since there isn’t enough rocky material in interstellar space to naturally form such a structure. “It’s bigger than the asteroid that killed a dinosaur 66 million years ago, and such objects are extremely rare. It would have been on the order of 10 million times more massive than Oumuamua and 10,000 times more massive than Borisov,” Loeb revealed.Despite not being projected to collide with the planet, NASA took the extraordinary step of adding 3I/ATLAS to the list of threats tracked by a United Nations-endorsed group focused on planetary defense against near-Earth objects. The decision has helped to mobilize all of the world’s telescopes to observe the interstellar visitor, with 227 observatories already tracking it.
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Loeb noted that 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth on December 19 and NASA is planning to take even more detailed readings of the object as it approaches the Juno spacecraft near Jupiter on March 16, 2026. We should not miss an opportunity, because this is a gift from interstellar space,” the Harvard professor explained.
Loeb concluded by saying the arrival of 3I/ATLAS and the recent visit of Oumuamua just eight years ago cannot be dismissed as random events in the cosmos. “What nature is trying to tell us is that we don’t understand something.”
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