Harvard’s Avi Loeb reignites alien debate over interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

Harvard Scientist Dr Avi Loeb has once again floated the theory regarding mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, which is racing toward Earth, stating, “It could be Trojan Horse where a technological object might be masquerading as a comet”.

Since the discovery of the space rock in July, Dr Loeb has presented several theories regarding it, mostly claiming that it is an alien spacecraft. He also suggested NASA send a “PEACE” message.

Many experts have already dismissed his claims but Dr Loeb maintains that there exists a 30 to 40 per cent chance 3I/ATLAS does not have a fully natural origin.

He said that his perception about the space rock can change with new details coming in every day. Observations from a spacecraft en route to Jupiter are expected next month, and additional data will arrive when the alleged alien object comes within 167 miles of Earth in December.

In a blog post, the astrophysicist said, “We have no idea of the amount of traffic of extraterrestrial probes in the vicinity of the Solar system. Given the uncertainty, it would be prudent to collect as much data as possible on interstellar objects from all directions and assess the level of risk based on that data.”

Previously, a new update by the scientists at the Gemini South Observatory in Chile has put an end to conspiracy theories related to the comet being an alien spacecraft.

The first ever multi-color images of 3I/ATLAS captured by the astronomers on August 27 reveal that the object is a comet, not an alien spacecraft.

The images revealed that the mysterious object has a dense icy nucleus surrounded by a halo of gas and dust known as coma and it also has a long tail stretching away from the sun.

However, a retired senior researcher at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Dr Horace Drew, has also pushed the alien UFO theory.

In a post on X, Dr Drew wrote, “It’s not a comet.” He explained that green light emerging from 3I/ATLAS might be evidence that the interstellar object is an alien spacecraft coated in nickel.