A trio of researchers has proposed that a newly discovered interstellar object might not be just another comet, but potentially a hostile alien spacecraft on a covert mission through our solar system.

Dubbed 3I/ATLAS, the object was spotted on July 1, tearing through space at over 130,000 miles per hour — a speed that outpaces previous interstellar visitors like ʻOumuamua. Within a day, astronomers confirmed it came from beyond our solar system. Preliminary analysis suggested it was likely a massive comet, up to 15 miles wide, larger than Manhattan.

But in a provocative new paper published, scientists Avi Loeb, Adam Hibberd, and Adam Crowl suggest something far more unsettling: 3I/ATLAS could be extraterrestrial technology in disguise — a potential surveillance device, or worse, a harbinger of alien aggression.

“The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity,” the paper warns.

Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist known for controversial theories on alien intelligence, gained notoriety in 2017 for suggesting that ʻOumuamua — the first confirmed interstellar object — may have been an artificial probe. Now, he and his co-authors argue that 3I/ATLAS’s unusual speed, entry angle, and projected path all raise red flags.

In particular, Loeb points out that 3I/ATLAS will make close approaches to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus — planets that could, in theory, be ideal drop-off points for alien surveillance devices. And when it reaches its perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) in late November, it will be hidden from Earth-based telescopes by the Sun’s glare — a position Loeb speculates may be ideal for discreet activity.

“This could be intentional,” he wrote in a blog post, “to avoid detailed observations when the object is brightest — or when gadgets are sent to Earth from that hidden vantage point.”

The implications, if true, go well beyond spy gear. Loeb suggests the object may lend credibility to the “dark forest hypothesis” — the idea that intelligent alien civilizations are silent or hidden to avoid drawing attention from potential cosmic predators. If 3I/ATLAS is indeed a probe, it might signal that Earth has been noticed.

The object’s high velocity makes any Earth-based interception impossible, Loeb adds. “Our best rockets reach at most a third of its speed,” he notes, meaning humanity is effectively helpless to approach or study it up-close before it vanishes back into deep space.

The claim has ignited fierce debate among astronomers. Many in the scientific community view the paper as speculative at best — and sensationalist at worst.

“There is no evidence that this object is anything but a comet,” said Dr. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at Canada’s University of Regina. “Billions of comets have been ejected from solar systems like ours — it’s not rare, and it’s certainly not alien.”

Even Loeb himself admitted in his blog post that the odds are slim: “By far, the most likely outcome will be that 3I/ATLAS is a completely natural interstellar object, probably a comet.”

The authors emphasized that the paper is an exploratory thought experiment, not a definitive claim. “The hypothesis is an interesting exercise in its own right,” they wrote. “It is fun to pursue, irrespective of its likely validity.”

Still, not everyone is amused.

“This is nonsense on stilts,” said Dr. Chris Lintott, an Oxford astrophysicist who helped simulate 3I/ATLAS’s likely origin. “It’s an insult to the exciting, collaborative scientific work being done to understand this remarkable object.”

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)