Avi Loeb Cites Size, Speed, and Trajectory as Evidence Against Natural Origin
Avi Loeb, a prominent Israeli-American astrophysicist from Harvard University, has once again stirred debate in the scientific community by suggesting that the newly discovered interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, may not be a natural cosmic body but a spacecraft sent by an advanced alien civilization.
Loeb points to the object’s unusual speed, trajectory, and massive size as signs that it may not have arrived in our solar system through ordinary cosmic processes.
What Is 3I/ATLAS?
3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system. Detected on July 1, 2025, by NASA’s ATLAS telescope in Chile, it has been classified as a comet. The object is currently traveling at approximately 60 kilometers per second and is projected to make its closest approach to the Sun on October 30, when it will be around 210 million kilometers away, roughly the orbit of Mars. It poses no threat to Earth.
A Suspicious Trajectory
Loeb highlights the comet’s retrograde orbital plane, which lies within five degrees of Earth’s own orbit. He told Newsweek that such an alignment has only a 0.2 percent chance of occurring randomly.
“The likelihood of that coincidence out of all random orientations is 0.2 per cent,” Loeb said, suggesting the alignment may not be coincidental. He posits that this could indicate purposeful targeting by an intelligent source.
Speed Too High for Natural Origins?
Another point of concern for Loeb is the speed of 3I/ATLAS. He told MailOnline, “An alternative is that the object targets the inner solar system by some technological design.” Scientists agree that the object is moving on a highly elliptical path, likely originating from outside the solar system, possibly from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
A Size That Defies Logic
Estimates based on light reflection suggest 3I/ATLAS is between 20 and 24 kilometers in diameter, approximately 200 times larger than the previously recorded interstellar visitor, ‘Oumuamua, which was only about 100 meters long. Loeb argues that an object of this size should not have survived the journey across interstellar space without disintegrating.
“There are about a million ‘Oumuamua-sized objects for each object that is 24 kilometers in size,” he explained. “But we haven’t seen a million smaller ones before spotting this giant. That’s very strange.”
Too Few Rocks, Too Many Questions
In a forthcoming paper to be published by Research Notes of the AAS, Loeb calculates that the number of similarly sized objects in the Milky Way does not add up. Multiplying their estimated frequency by the mass of 3I/ATLAS leads to results that he describes as making “zero sense.”
He argues that the apparent scarcity of such massive bodies makes the presence of 3I/ATLAS in our inner solar system highly unusual, possibly signalling deliberate design rather than chance.
Loeb Questions Its Comet Status
While the object has been officially classified as a comet, Loeb disputes that label, pointing out the lack of direct evidence of gas or dust emissions typically seen in comets. He suggests that the object’s reddish hue, which has been cited as evidence of dust, could simply be due to its surface color.
Scientific Community Remains Sceptical
Despite Loeb’s high-profile claims, many astronomers have dismissed the alien spacecraft theory, asserting that current observations do not support such speculation. They maintain that 3I/ATLAS is likely a relic from another star system, possibly older than our own Sun, and is being propelled by natural cosmic forces.
Nevertheless, Loeb continues to challenge the mainstream narrative, urging the scientific community to remain open to possibilities beyond the conventional.
