A colossal comet traversing our solar system has been identified as significantly larger than initial estimates, leading one prominent scientist to suggest it might be a relic of extraterrestrial technology, according to a recent study.
Designated 3I/ATLAS, this celestial body was initially detected in July by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Following its discovery, the U.S. space agency verified its status as an interstellar visitor – a rare occurrence, marking only the third such object ever observed. Preceding it were Comet 2I/Borisov in 2019 and the enigmatic, cigar-shaped 'Oumuamua in 2017.
However, 3I/ATLAS distinguishes itself from its predecessors, prompting some scientific experts to scrutinize its origins. Dr. Avi Loeb, a renowned Harvard astrophysicist, and his research group proposed in a recent paper that the object's mass "must exceed 33 billion tons," boasting a nucleus spanning over 3.1 miles. Furthermore, as it hurtles towards the sun, 3I/ATLAS is observed to be expelling substantial quantities of carbon dioxide and dust.
"This indicates that 3I/ATLAS significantly surpasses the mass of the other two interstellar objects, 1I/'Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, by an astonishing 3–5 orders of magnitude, presenting a substantial anomaly," Loeb detailed in a published blog entry.
This immense interstellar body is hurtling towards our star at an incredible velocity of approximately 152,000 miles per hour. Its trajectory is remarkably flat and linear, a characteristic that starkly deviates from typical solar system objects.
"Should 3I/ATLAS exhibit any significant maneuvers in the future, it would strongly imply propulsion from a technologically fabricated engine," Loeb articulated. He further elaborated in a previous academic paper that the "leading hypothesis posits that [3I/ATLAS] is a technological artifact, potentially possessing active intelligence."
Despite its enigmatic nature, NASA has confirmed that this comet presents no threat to Earth, maintaining a safe distance of around 150 million miles. While it journeys towards the sun, it will make close approaches, passing within 1.67 million miles of Mars' orbit and also nearing both Jupiter and Venus.
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Originally published at: https://www.al.com/news/2025/09/mysterious-object-entering-solar-system-much-larger-than-previously-thought-could-be-alien-technology.html
