The discovery of the astral comet 3I/ ATLAS has captured the attention of astronomers and space suckers alike.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has suggested that this unusual caller might not be a simple comet, but a technological artefact from another civilisation.
Loeb, the Baird Professor of Science at Harvard and author of Extraterrestrial and Interstellar, has long studied objects entering our solar system from interstellar space.
Since 3I/ATLAS’s perihelion on 29th October, he has highlighted its strange behaviour that challenges conventional comet science.
Is 3I/ATLAS an Alien Probe?
Discovered on 1st July 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial- impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile, 3I/ ATLAS, also called C/ 2025 N1, immediately drew attention.
Its largely elliptical route is more like the Earth than a typical comet. It also has an anti-tail, a premium pointing toward the Sun, which is unusual.
Its chemical makeup, with more nickel than iron, has led some scientists to wonder whether it might be an artificial object rather than a natural comet.
Unusual Orbit and Composition
Loeb compares 3I/ATLAS to humanity’s own Voyager spacecraft, launched in the 1970s and reaching interstellar space in 2012.
He writes: “Most stars are billions of years older than the Sun, and during a billion years our Voyager spacecraft with its 1970s technologies can reach the opposite side of the Galactic disk.
This implies that there was plenty of time for interstellar artefacts, potentially more advanced than Voyager or the Tesla Roadster car, to reach the Solar system from interstellar space.
Would comet experts recognise these visitors as technological artefacts if their training data set includes only icy rocks?”
Loeb argues that scientists should consider interstellar objects as potential alien probes, especially given anomalies like 3I/ATLAS’s non-gravitational acceleration after perihelion.
NASA HiRISE May Reveal Clues
Astronomers and stargazers have been observing the comet’s faint, fuzzy glow as it passes through our cosmic neighbourhood.
We’re hosting a live event on Wednesday, Nov. 19 to share the latest images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, collected by several NASA missions.
Tune in for the details—and send in your questions for the livestream with #AskNASA: https://t.co/vcFamtcjK2 pic.twitter.com/0d7fkTwRVP
— NASA (@NASA) November 17, 2025
The NASA HiRISE images, captured during 3I/ ATLAS’s close approach to Mars in early October, are largely anticipated and may give further insight into its mysterious nature.
Whether 3I/ ATLAS is a natural comet or a visiting inquiry from another star system, it reminds us of just how strange and fascinating our solar system can be.
The debate continues, with scientists and space suckers watching nearly as this astral caller peregrinations through the world.
