Discovered on July 1, 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar visitor to enter our solar system, following 2017’s Oumuamua and 2019’s Borisov. It measures about 15 miles wide, making it larger than Manhattan.
While some astronomers suggest it’s a comet made of water ice and organic compounds like silicates—similar to asteroids found in the outer regions of the solar system’s main belt—others aren’t convinced it’s natural at all.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, known for his bold theories about extraterrestrial intelligence, has again stirred debate. Along with researchers Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, Loeb has proposed that 3I/ATLAS may be an alien probe, pointing to its unusual trajectory and exceptionally high speed, even greater than ?Oumuamua’s.
The team speculates that such characteristics could offer “advantages to extraterrestrial intelligence,” suggesting the object’s path might be optimized for reconnaissance.
Interestingly, some theorists believe the object is older than our solar system, possibly carrying water that predates Earth. Loeb notes that 3I/ATLAS will pass close to Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, which, he argues, could provide a discreet opportunity to deploy surveillance devices.When it makes its closest approach to the Sun in late November, 3I/ATLAS will no longer be visible from Earth—a detail Loeb says could be intentional to avoid detection during its brightest phase.
“If it’s a technological artifact,” Loeb adds, “it could support the Dark Forest theory”—a concept suggesting that alien civilizations stay silent to avoid being discovered by potentially hostile species.
He warns that if this theory holds, defensive measures might be necessary, though the object is moving too fast for any Earth-based spacecraft to intercept before it exits the Solar System.
The discovery has triggered a storm of speculation on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter).
One post read: “Hubble just captured 3I/ATLAS and it’s weirder than anyone expected! It looks like a comet, it flies like a probe—and it might not be natural at all.”
Another conspiracy theory account added: “Is this Project Bluebeam in action? The mainstream media is pushing the ‘hostile alien object’ narrative. 3I/ATLAS could be an invader comet, just like ?Oumuamua before it mysteriously slingshotted around the Sun and left the system at an unnatural speed.”
Whether comet or craft, 3I/ATLAS continues to fuel a heated debate—raising scientific curiosity and interstellar suspicion in equal measure.