Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS zooms through solar system, sparks ‘alien origin’ debate [VIDEO]

BALTIMORE, MD—A newly discovered interstellar comet, named 3I/ATLAS, is speeding through our solar system, marking only the third such object ever observed, NASA has announced. Detected on July 1, 2025, by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile, the comet is drawing intense interest from astronomers—and some controversial speculation about its nature.

The comet, originating from beyond our solar system, is currently about 420 million miles from Earth, arriving from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius. It is traveling at approximately 130,000 miles per hour relative to the Sun and will make its closest approach to the star on Oct. 30, at about 130 million miles, just inside the orbit of Mars. Thus far, NASA says 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth, maintaining a minimum distance of 150 million miles, with its closest approach to our planet expected in December.

Follow-up observations from telescopes worldwide, including the Zwicky Transient Facility at Palomar Observatory in California, have confirmed signs of cometary activity, such as a marginal coma and short tail, leading to its official designation as C/2025 N1 (ATLAS). The comet’s brightness suggests it could be up to 7 miles wide, potentially making it the largest interstellar object observed to date, though its exact size remains under investigation.

“This is a rare opportunity to study an object from another star system,” said Paul Chodas, director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies. “These visitors carry clues about the formation of planetary systems across the galaxy, and 3I/ATLAS is no exception.”

The comet’s discovery follows two previous interstellar visitors: ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. Unlike ‘Oumuamua, which initially appeared asteroidal but sparked debate about its origins, 3I/ATLAS shows clear cometary traits, with a bright cloud of gas and dust surrounding its icy nucleus. Astronomers expect it to remain visible to ground-based telescopes through September, after which it will pass too close to the Sun for observation.

However, the comet has ignited controversy beyond its scientific significance. Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, known for suggesting ‘Oumuamua might be an alien probe, has proposed that 3I/ATLAS could be an extraterrestrial craft. Loeb points to its unusual trajectory, which will take it near Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, as evidence of possible “intelligent” direction. “We should put all possibilities on the table,” Loeb said, advocating for a risk assessment scale akin to the Richter scale for earthquakes, ranging from natural objects to potentially technological ones.

Loeb explained that 3I/ATLAS’s course is so rare the chance of a natural space rock randomly flying along that path is less than 0.005 percent.

NASA and other experts dismiss such claims, emphasizing the comet’s natural characteristics. “It’s not artificial, don’t get excited,” Chodas said. “It’s a natural visitor from another stellar neighborhood, likely traveling for hundreds of millions, if not billions, of years.”

Astronomers are racing to study 3I/ATLAS before it exits the solar system. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, set to begin full-sky scans soon, may help detect more such objects, offering insights into their frequency and origins. For now, 3I/ATLAS remains a fleeting cosmic guest, captivating scientists and fueling debate as it streaks through our celestial backyard.

More in the video below.

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Photo: ATLAS/University of Hawaii/NASA

Joe Rogan expressed shock during his podcast after reading a DailyMail.com article detailing a mysterious interstellar object reportedly on a path toward Earth.

NASA has identified the object, named 3I/ATLAS, as a likely comet, but Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has proposed a more controversial theory, suggesting the object could be ‘an alien probe.’

Rogan said that the object is approaching from behind the sun, making it difficult to detect, adding that Loeb believes the object is on a direct trajectory toward Earth and could arrive in 2027.

During Tuesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the podcaster read aloud from the DailyMail.com article, reacting in real-time to its contents.

‘The object measures roughly seven miles in diameter. Holy f***. How big is New York City?’* he said, astonished. ‘Bigger than Mount Everest, making it the largest interstellar object ever spotted.’

The article also included skepticism from astronomer Chris Lintott of the University of Oxford, who told Live Science that Loeb’s theory was ‘nonsense on stilts.’

Rogan acknowledged the criticism but defended Loeb’s credentials: ‘Harvard is legit and Avi is a legit astronomer.’

The podcaster then speculated that the object could be intentionally sent to Earth to wipe out humanity and reset civilization, similar to how the dinosaurs were wiped out.

Joe Rogan discussed the interstellar object hurtling toward Earth during his podcast, where he pulled up an article from DailyMail.com discussing it

The interstellar object (circled) is believed to be a comet, but Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb contends it could be an alien craft

Rogan offered his scenario for what could happen if the object turns out to be an alien craft, suggesting ‘that might be the end of the Earth.’

He speculated that the timing of the object’s arrival could coincide with a tipping point in the rise of artificial intelligence, imagining a future where AI gains control of the planet and deems humanity unsalvageable.

‘It wipes everything out. Just like when the dinosaurs were here. Maybe that’s how they reset the game,’ said Rogan.

In his view, such an extinction-level event could pave the way for a new beginning.

‘We start fresh with new organisms, and then they come along and do genetic engineering, just like they did with us and monkeys, to create a new version of humans,’ he continued.

‘But this time, they make us a little less territorial, a little more inquisitive, more interested in innovation and less focused on controlling resources. Because that’s what f**** us.’

3I/ATLAS was first identified on July 1 in data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.

A team of more than 200 researchers determined that the object’s nucleus, the solid core of a comet, is roughly 3.5 miles wide, and its appearance suggests it contains large amounts of ice and dust in a surrounding cloud known as a coma.

Telescopes have been tracking the course of 3I/ATLAS as it travels through our solar system. Loeb believes it could meet Earth in 2027

Harvard Professor Avi Loeb published a pre-print study that suggested the object could not be a comet. He believes that it may be an alien probe

However, Loeb recently challenged this classification in a preprint study published on arXiv.

Loeb and his team found that 3I/ATLAS appears to lack a coma altogether, raising doubts about whether it is a natural object.

According to the Harvard professor, the absence of a coma could mean the object isn’t a comet at all but something artificial.

‘The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity, and would possibly require defensive measures to be undertaken (though these might prove futile),’ the study warned.

Loeb’s theory draws from a bleak scientific concept known as the Dark Forest Hypothesis, which suggests that intelligent civilizations may remain silent or act preemptively to eliminate threats, meaning they could view humanity as something to destroy before it becomes dangerous.

‘As a scientist, I respond to evidence collected by instruments, the professor shared in a blog post on Wednesday.

‘As of now, we have anomalies but we need more data on 3I/ATLAS or other interstellar objects in order to ascertain whether any one of them is technological in origin.

‘Once we find an interstellar artifact beyond a reasonable doubt, the next step will be to figure out its technological capabilities and intent.’

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways

The space rock 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object discovered by astronomers, following ‘Oumuamua and the comet Borisov. While astronomers are still busily collecting data on the new discovery, they think it originated from the Milky Way’s thick disk. If so, it may be as old as 7 billion years, a couple billion years older than our entire solar system.

Its path through space will take it between the orbits of Earth and Mars before it heads back out toward interstellar space again. When it was discovered by NASA’s ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) on July 1, 2025, it was traveling a blistering 137,000 miles per hour and getting faster. It will be moving faster than 150,000 miles per hour when it makes its closest approach with the Sun.

The asteroid gets its name from a combination of its place in astronomical history (3I being short for third interstellar) and the ATLAS telescope which made the discovery. Astronomers know it’s interstellar because its trajectory puts it on a hyperbolic orbit which will send it back into deep space after a close pass through the inner solar system later this year.

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The comet is traveling within 5 degrees of the ecliptic plane (the imaginary plane upon which the Earth and most of the rest of the solar system spin) and it will pass relatively close to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter during its visit. It’s that same trajectory that astronomer Avi Loeb says may be evidence of alien technology.

3I/ATLAS, the Fermi Paradox, and the Dark Forest hypothesis

Orbit of Comet 31/ATLAS

Loeb suggests that 3I/ATLAS is on the sort of path an alien intelligence might chart if they wanted to learn more about us and our system. He also says that the probability of the trajectory so close to three planets has a combined probability of just 0.005%

This isn’t the first time Loeb has suggested alien origins for interstellar objects. He suggested that ‘Oumuamua may have been an alien probe and he combed the ocean floor with a magnetic rake looking for debris from downed alien spacecraft. This time, at least, Loeb says his speculations about 3I/ATLAS are mostly a thought experiment.

“As largely a pedagogical exercise, in this paper we present additional analysis into the astrodynamics of 3I/ATLAS, and hypothesize that this object could be technological, and possibly hostile as would be expected from the ‘Dark Forest’ resolution to the ‘Fermi Paradox’,” authors Avi Loeb, Adam Hibberd, and Adam Crowl wrote in a preprint paper posted to arXiv. The paper has not been peer reviewed.

For More on Interstellar Objects:

Interstellar Meteors May Have Been Fired from Supernovae Like Iron-Rich Bullets

The Interstellar Comet Borisov was Shiny and New when it Passed Through Our Solar System

Where Does the Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov Come From?

In 1950, physicist Enrico Fermi went to lunch and posed one of the biggest unanswered questions in the history of astronomy: Where is everyone? If there are so many stars and so many worlds, with so many opportunities for life to arise, why are we seemingly alone in the cosmos? With 14 billion years of universal history, it feels like the skies should be filled with spacefarers, uncrewed probes, and radio signals. In spite of all this, there are no apparent signs of life out there.

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With a sample size of one (Earth), it’s impossible to draw conclusions about how common life is in the universe or why we haven’t found it yet. Dozens of solutions have been proposed for the Great Silence including that we really are alone, that we’re early in the evolution of the universe and one of the first intelligent species to arise, and that technological civilizations tend to destroy themselves. And then there’s the Dark Forest hypothesis.

GIF of several 31/ATLAS observations

Taking its name from Liu Cixin’s 2008 science fiction novel The Dark Forest, in which there are many civilizations in the universe, but they are hostile and quiet. It’s similar to the Deadly Probes scenario, also known as the Berserker hypothesis, which suggests we haven’t found alien life because it has all been destroyed by killer self-replicating spacecraft. The Dark Forest compares the universe to an environment filled with predators in which the best way to survive is to be silent. Similar themes were explored in the 1987 novel The Forge of God in which author Greg Bear likens humanity to a crying baby in a hostile forest.

In these scenarios, when the intentions of an alien civilization can’t be known it might be best to shoot first and ask questions later. And, if the prevailing attitude of the cosmos is antagonistic, then the only way to survive long-term is stealth. Many civilizations may choose not to explore or communicate, instead remaining quietly and safely on their home planets. If you’re going to explore, you might want to do it covertly. Disguising your probes as interstellar space rocks might be one way to do that.

Loeb, Hibberd, and Crowl make the case that if 3I/ATLAS were an alien spacecraft, its current trajectory would allow it to access Earth easily. When it’s behind the Sun and blocked from our view, it could secretly thrust to slow down and fall into orbit around the Sun. If it wanted to, it could then chart a course for Earth, arriving as soon as November or December. Of course, even Loeb thinks that’s unlikely.

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“By far, the most likely outcome will be that 3I/ATLAS is a completely natural interstellar object, probably a comet, and we await the astronomical data to support this likely origin,” Loeb said.

Prepare for contact with ETs by watching Resident Alien, streaming now on Peacock!

A respected Harvard astrophysicist has revealed new evidence suggesting that the mysterious object barreling toward Earth this December is an alien craft.

Professor Avi Loeb and his team found that the supposed comet known as 3I/ATLAS is on an extremely unusual course that will take it close to three different planets: Venus, Mars, and Jupiter.

Loeb explained that 3I/ATLAS’s course is so rare the chance of a natural space rock randomly flying along that path is less than 0.005 percent.

Based on those findings, Loeb, an outspoken believer in UFOs, has concluded that 3I/ATLAS may be an alien probe sent to this solar system by an unknown intelligence.

Moreover, Loeb said that such a craft and the beings who control it would have one of two motives, one being harmless and the other being hostile.

‘The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity, and would possibly require defensive measures to be undertaken (though these might prove futile),’ Loeb and his team warned in their new study.

The researchers’ theory emerged from a grim scientific concept called the dark forest hypothesis, which assumes that other intelligent civilizations in the galaxy would be hostile and likely view humanity as a threat that needs to be attacked.

In 2021, Loeb theorized that Oumuamua, the first interstellar object which passed through our solar system, may have also been an alien probe, citing its strange cigar-like shape and its ability to speed up without the influence of gravity.

Telescopes have been tracking the course of 3I/ATLAS as it travels through our solar system in 2025 and 2026

The interstellar object (circled) is believed to be a comet, but Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb contends it could be an alien craft

In May, Professor Loeb was one of the keynote speakers at a congressional hearing regarding UFO sightings. At that event, he said ‘there are objects in the sky that we don’t understand’ while calling for increased funding for UFO detection.

Loeb has also claimed that up to 10 percent of the metal fragments recovered from the Pacific Ocean contain ‘alien’ elements not seen in our solar system.

Those remnants came from a meteor-like object that originated from interstellar space and crashed off the coast of Papua New Guinea in 2014. However, Loeb has maintained that the object could have been an alien craft, or at least debris from one.

This month, Loeb and co-authors Adam Drowl and Adam Hibberd from the space research non-profit Initiative for Interstellar Studies found other pieces of evidence that suggest 3I/ATLAS is not your average comet.

First, its massive size, which studies estimate as between seven and 12 miles long, would make it significantly larger than Oumuamua (300 to 1,300 feet long).

Scientists have said that interstellar objects that large should be extremely rare in the cosmos, making 3I/ATLAS’s visit to our solar system a statistical long-shot.

Loeb’s study also revealed 3I/ATLAS does not have a coma, a cloud of gas and dust that typically surround comets.

The team said this suggests the giant object is therefore not a comet, which should have a smaller core and be part of a larger population of interstellar objects.

3I/ATLAS is projected to make close passes by 3 different planets: Venus, Mars, and Jupiter

3I/ATLAS (circled) is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on December 17, 2025

Combined with the one-in-20,000 chance of making close passes by multiple planets this year, Loeb argued the possibility that the object headed toward Earth could be artificial can’t be ignored.

‘When viewed from an open-minded and unprejudiced perspective, these investigations have revealed many compelling insights into the possibility that 3I/ATLAS is technological,’ Loeb explained.

Their new study was published to the pre-print server arXiv on July 17, meaning the research has not been peer-reviewed yet.

Whether it’s a comet or an alien craft, 3I/ATLAS is expected to pass by Earth on December 17, speeding through the solar system at more than 41 miles per second (roughly 150,000 miles per hour).

On its current trajectory, it’ll come within 2.4 astronomical units of our planet (223 million miles).

An astronomical unit (AU) is equal to the distance between Earth and the sun, 93 million miles. Technically, 3I/ATLAS has been in the solar system for weeks, and was roughly four AU away from Earth in early July.

Loeb also suggested that Oumuamua, an interstellar object which passed Earth in 2017, may have also been an alien probe

In October, it’ll make its closest approach to a planet, coming within 0.4 AU (37 million miles) of Mars.

Loeb’s previous analysis of the massive object has found that it has come from a thicker part of the Milky Way galaxy’s disk, where older stars are found.

The 12-mile-wide visitor is believed to be older than our sun, which is 4.6 billion years old.

The July 10 study in Astronomy & Astrophysics found 3I/ATLAS took about 800 million years to travel across part of the Milky Way to reach our solar system.