A Harvard astrophysicist suggests that the massive comet 3I/ATLAS, weighing 33 billion tons, could be an artifact of alien technology rather than a natural celestial body.
A comet traveling through our solar system has garnered attention for its unexpected size and characteristics. Harvard researcher Avi Loeb has reported that the comet, designated 3I/ATLAS, weighs approximately 33 billion tons and spans at least 3.1 miles in diameter, making it significantly larger than previous interstellar visitors.
3I/ATLAS is only the third known interstellar object to be detected, following Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Loeb’s assertions raise intriguing possibilities about the nature of this comet, suggesting it could potentially be an artifact of alien technology rather than a natural celestial body.
In a recent blog post on Medium, Loeb shared new data and measurements that indicate the comet’s nucleus is more massive than initially estimated. Observations made in July revealed that 3I/ATLAS is shedding substantial amounts of carbon dioxide and dust as it approaches the Sun.
Loeb and his colleagues have detected a slight “non-gravitational acceleration” in the comet’s trajectory, attributed to “outgassing.” This phenomenon suggests that the object is far heavier than early models had predicted.
The size of 3I/ATLAS dwarfs that of Oumuamua, which measures just a quarter-mile long, and Borisov, which is about 0.6 miles across. Loeb noted that this makes 3I/ATLAS three to five orders of magnitude more massive than the previous two interstellar objects observed.
Next week, 3I/ATLAS is expected to pass within 1.67 million miles of Mars’ orbit, while also coming close to both Jupiter and Venus. In light of these developments, Loeb has urged NASA to direct the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter toward the comet. He believes that even a single bright pixel captured could help refine estimates of its true dimensions.
Loeb emphasized the importance of not making assumptions about the nature of 3I/ATLAS based solely on its chemical composition. “We should not decide about the nature of 3I/ATLAS based on the chemical composition of its skin,” he stated. “For the same reason, we should not judge a book by its cover.”
As the comet continues its journey through the solar system, the scientific community remains eager to learn more about this enigmatic object and its potential implications for our understanding of interstellar phenomena.
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