Scientist challenges world leaders over mystery comet he fears could be alien probe — but time is running out
Avi Loeb, a theoretical physicist at Harvard University, challenged world leaders to get their acts together and take UFOs seriously as yet another baffling object has been spotted hurtling towards Earth from outside our solar system.
3 Harvard professor Avi Loeb believes an incoming interstellar object could be an alien probe.
AP
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3 Loeb says he believes 'we need an international organization that will make policy decisions' about the object.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
'I believe that we need an international organization that will make policy decisions about such an object,' Loeb told NewNation in a recent interview.
'We are worried about existential threats from artificial intelligence, from global climate change, from an asteroid impact, but we never discuss alien technology,' he said in the clip, which first aired Friday.
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Loeb's comments come as he backed claims that an interstellar object discovered in June – catalogued by astronomers as 31/ATLAS – might be an alien craft speeding deliberately towards Earth.
He noted that the object does not seem to have the characteristics commonly associated with a comet – not only is it significantly larger than usual, but it has a light source ahead of it instead of the typical tail glowing behind it observed on comets.
3 Loeb noted that the object does not share characteristics commonly associated with a comet.
Jewitt et al. 2025
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Loeb said if the object – which is on track to pass near Earth this coming Halloween – does prove to be alien, then the world would need to consider the alien force's intentions.
'The response has to depend on its properties and its intent — what is it doing as it comes closer to us?' Loeb told the outlet.
'And it's just like having a visitor in your backyard. You can't decide on the policy for all visitors. It really depends on the intent of the visitor, and it's just next door.'
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