DexertoNASA has responded to growing speculation that mysterious interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is actually an alien starship preparing to invade Earth.
3I/ATLAS, first detected earlier this year, is only the third confirmed interstellar object ever spotted passing through our solar system. Unlike asteroids and comets bound to the Sun, it entered from deep space and will eventually leave again.
Its unusual brightness and rapid rotation rate have fueled conspiracy theories, with some insisting it could be an artificial craft. Unlike typical comets that only reflect sunlight, 3I/ATLAS appears to glow on its own, sparking theories that it may contain a power source or engine.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has argued its behavior could mimic signs of a genuine starship. In a paper, Loeb even speculated it could perform a hidden maneuver while behind the Sun in October and adjust its course toward Earth. He linked the idea to the “Dark Forest” hypothesis, which suggests alien civilizations may strike first to eliminate rivals.
NASA is being pressed by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and Loeb to keep watch on the massive interstellar object when it passes the sun on Halloween Eve, over concerns it could deploy “mini probes” toward Earth.
NASANASA shuts down 3I/ATLAS invasion fears
NASA officials, however, are dismissing the alien invasion talk. The agency has been tracking 3I/ATLAS with ground and space telescopes since its discovery and says it shows all the hallmarks of a natural comet.
“It looks like a comet. It does comet things. It very, very strongly resembles, in just about every way, the comets that we know,” said Tom Statler, NASA’s lead scientist for small bodies.
“It has some interesting properties that are a little bit different from our solar system comets, but it behaves like a comet. And so the evidence is overwhelmingly pointing to this object being a natural body. It’s a comet.”
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While the object’s sudden brightening has caught attention, Statler explained this is common among comets when pockets of ice vaporize near the Sun. He added that 3I/ATLAS will never come closer than 170 million miles to Earth, instead passing near Venus, Mars, and Jupiter over the coming months.
Rather than a threat, Statler called it an opportunity.
“It’s special because we now have the ability to discover these interstellar comets… we’ve just recently had the ability to discover them, and we’ve discovered only three so far. This gives us a window we’ve never had before, directly into the composition of other solar systems.”
Unsplash: Cerqueira / NASAAlien life still on the table
Even though NASA has downplayed 3I/ATLAS as a starship, the agency is closer than ever to proving alien life once existed on Mars.
Just this month, Perseverance rover samples from Mars revealed leopard-spotted rocks that may hold biosignatures, possible traces of ancient life. “This very well could be the clearest sign of life that we’ve ever found on Mars,” said Acting Administrator Sean Duffy.
And days before, viral footage shown in a congressional UFO hearing depicted a mysterious orb seemingly deflecting a Hellfire missile, sparking more questions about technology far beyond current human capabilities.
For now, NASA insists 3I/ATLAS is natural, but the mix of real discoveries and strange sightings is ensuring speculation about aliens isn’t going away anytime soon.