Astrophysicist claims interstellar object 3I/ATLAS could have the power to create planets

Astronomers are buzzing after the discovery of 3I/ATLAS, a mysterious interstellar object hurtling through our solar system, and a new theory suggests it could help create planets.

Unlike asteroids bound to the Sun’s gravity, 3I/ATLAS entered from deep space and will eventually leave again. Its unusual brightness and rapid spin rate have fueled theories, with some insisting it could be an alien craft. Unlike typical comets that reflect sunlight, it appears to glow on its own, sparking speculation about an onboard power source.

NASA was even asked by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb to monitor 3I/ATLAS when it swings past the Sun on Halloween Eve, amid fears it could “deploy mini probes” toward Earth. NASA has denied any invasion threat, but another astrophysicist believes these objects could play a very different cosmic role.

3I/ATLAS could be jumpstarting planet creation

At the Europlanet Science Congress, professor Susanne Pfalzner of Forschungszentrum Jülich presented research suggesting interstellar objects might act as “planet seeds” when captured in the dusty, gas-rich disks around young stars.

“Interstellar space would deliver ready-made seeds for the formation of the next generation of planets,” Pfalzner explained.

Planet formation normally happens through accretion — small particles sticking together over millions of years. But boulder-sized collisions tend to bounce or break apart instead of merge, raising questions about how massive planets like Jupiter form quickly enough. Pfalzner’s models show that captured interstellar bodies could skip this barrier by providing a large, stable core for material to build upon.

The idea could also solve another puzzle: why giant gas planets are most common around massive stars. Their protoplanetary disks only last a couple of million years, usually too short a window for giants to form. Interstellar “seeds” might speed up the process, offering a fast track to building Jupiter-sized worlds.

“Interstellar objects may be able to jump-start planet formation, in particular around higher-mass stars,” Pfalzner said.

“Higher-mass stars are more efficient in capturing interstellar objects in their discs… Therefore, interstellar object-seeded planet formation should be more efficient around these stars, providing a fast way to form giant planets. And, their fast formation is exactly what we have observed.”

Still, it’s only a theory. NASA maintains that 3I/ATLAS is simply a comet, not an alien mothership. But as the object makes its closest pass this fall, it continues to spark both scientific debate and sci-fi speculation.

Meanwhile, NASA is chasing another mystery closer to home. The agency revealed this month that samples collected by its Perseverance rover on Mars contain leopard-spotted rocks that may hold biosignatures, potential traces of ancient life. Acting Administrator Sean Duffy called the discovery “the clearest sign of life we’ve ever found on Mars.”