NASA confirms largest interstellar object seen in solar system

The largest interstellar comet discovered could be an alien technology. The newly found Manhattan-sized object, named 3I/ATLAS, is approximately 7 miles wide and racing through our solar system.

Avi Loeb, a Harvard scientist, considering the size of the object, gave a hypothesis that it could be an alien probe or artificial technology.

“The hypothesis in question is that 3I/ATLAS is a technological artifact, and has active intelligence. If this is the case, then two possibilities follow,” he said.

The experts opined that, “First, that its intentions are entirely benign and second, they are malign.”

Scientists are investigating the composition and direction of the activity. NASA classified this object as a comet. There is a lack of consensus that 3I/ATLAS poses an alien threat. It will come closer to the sun in October 2025.

This is the third time an object entering our solar system has been detected.

The International Astronomical Union called it a comet and designated it the largest detected object. 

The new object is “moving considerably faster than the other two extra-solar objects that we previously detected”, said Mark Norris, an astronomer at the University of Central Lancashire, UK.

The first interstellar visitor was Oumuamua, discovered in 2017, and the second was 21/Borisov, found in 2019.

How many interstellar objects have been discovered?

As for now, three interstellar objects have been detected: 3I/ATLAS, Oumuamua, and 21/Borisov.