NASA has officially classified the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS as a comet, citing its spectral data and observable features. The agency’s analysis highlights characteristics typical of comets, such as a visible coma, a gas-emitting tail, and signs of water activity. However, this classification has sparked controversy, particularly from Avi Loeb, a professor of physics at Harvard University, who argues that the object exhibits unusual traits that suggest a possible artificial origin.
According to NASA, the spectral data gathered from various observatories supports the classification of 3I/ATLAS as a natural celestial body. The object is surrounded by dust and gas, consistent with known cometary behavior, and contains a significant amount of carbon dioxide. Despite these findings, Loeb contends that the alignment of the object’s trajectory with Jupiter is statistically improbable for a natural object. He points to what he describes as a striking 13th anomaly, which he believes indicates intentional navigation rather than random chance.
Loeb’s concerns center on the precise trajectory of 3I/ATLAS, which is set to pass near Jupiter’s Hill sphere—an area where Jupiter’s gravity dominates over the Sun’s. He notes that the closest approach, approximately 53.445 million kilometers from Jupiter, aligns remarkably well with the boundary of this gravitational influence. Loeb argues that such precision, within 0.06 million kilometers, raises questions about the object’s natural origins.
In a recent post on Medium, Loeb elaborated on his hypothesis, suggesting that if 3I/ATLAS possesses maneuverable jets, it could have intentionally adjusted its trajectory for a flyby of Jupiter. He speculates that the object might be designed to deploy smaller spacecraft into stable orbits around Jupiter’s Lagrange points, which are ideal locations for long-term observation.
“If 3I/ATLAS is technological in origin, it might have fine-tuned its trajectory with the help of thrusters to arrive at Jupiter’s Hill radius,” he stated. Loeb further suggested that if the object were to deposit devices within this zone on March 16, 2026, these devices would need to counteract its high speed of 65.9 kilometers per second relative to Jupiter.
While Loeb does not assert that 3I/ATLAS is definitively a product of alien technology, he insists that the evidence warrants further investigation. He urges scientists to remain open-minded about the data and cautions against dismissing findings that do not conform to familiar explanations. “If we find technological satellites of Jupiter that we did not send, it would imply that Jupiter is of interest to an extraterrestrial civilization,” he remarked.
The debate surrounding 3I/ATLAS highlights the broader questions about humanity’s understanding of interstellar objects and the potential for life beyond Earth. As this discourse unfolds, both NASA’s official stance and Loeb’s provocative theories continue to capture public interest and spark further inquiry into the mysteries of the cosmos.
