RIO HURTADO / LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – A mysterious comet discovered with the ATLAS telescope in Chile is causing a stir in the scientific world. Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar object and is moving through the solar system at high speed. While most astronomers consider it a natural comet, a Harvard scientist is asking provocative questions about its origin.
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The discovery of comet 3I/ATLAS on July 1, 2025 has excited the astronomy community. Identified with the ATLAS telescope in Chile, this object is the third confirmed interstellar object observed in our solar system. Previously, only ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019 had been recognized as such objects. The speed and trajectory of 3I/ATLAS indicate that it is not bound to the Sun by gravity, suggesting that it came from another star system.
3I/ATLAS moves through space at an impressive speed of over 200,000 km/h. This speed increases as it gets closer to the sun. Its hyperbolic orbit means it will leave the solar system after a short visit. According to NASA, it will come within about 270 million kilometers of Earth before moving on.
While most scientists view 3I/ATLAS as a natural comet, Harvard University Professor Avi Loeb has a different perspective. As part of the Galileo Project, which studies evidence of extraterrestrial technology, Loeb has hypothesized that 3I/ATLAS could potentially be an artificial probe or artifact from another civilization. He asks whether the brightness of the object is due to self-luminescence rather than reflected sunlight.
However, NASA has dismissed these speculations, emphasizing that 3I/ATLAS resembles a comet in every way. Tom Statler, NASA’s lead scientist for small bodies in the solar system, explained that the object has all the typical characteristics of a comet. Loeb himself has acknowledged that the simplest explanation is that of a comet, but emphasizes the importance of questioning assumptions and looking for evidence.
The comet will make its closest approach to the Sun in late October and could become visible to ground-based telescopes in early December. The scientific community is eagerly watching what new insights 3I/ATLAS could provide about interstellar objects and possibly the existence of extraterrestrial technologies.
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