Harvard Astrophysicist Suggests Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS May Be Artificial
Professor Avi Loeb proposes that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS exhibits characteristics suggesting it could be a nuclear-powered spacecraft, though other experts remain skeptical.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has proposed that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS may be an artificial, nuclear-powered spacecraft. Loeb, director of the Galileo Project, points to the object's apparent self-illumination, observed in Hubble Space Telescope images from July 21, as evidence of a potential nuclear energy source on its surface. He notes that, unlike typical comets, which display tails trailing behind due to solar radiation, 3I/ATLAS exhibits a glow on the side facing the Sun. Loeb also highlights the object's unusual trajectory, which brings it close to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, suggesting a less than 0.005% chance of such a path occurring naturally. He has discussed the possibility of redirecting NASA's Juno probe to investigate 3I/ATLAS with Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who has contacted NASA regarding this proposal. However, other experts, including Oxford astronomer Chris Lintott, dismiss the artificial origin theory as unfounded, emphasizing the need for further observation as 3I/ATLAS approaches Earth on December 17, 2025.