Mystery interstellar object could be alien spacecraft
The large interstellar object - which has been named 3I/ATLAS - was spotted racing through the universe at 41 miles per second (150,000 miles per hour) last week.
It is far larger and brighter than the previous two interstellar objects to pass through our solar system, 'Oumuamua and Borissov, and extraterrestrial expert Professor Avi Loeb says that is "difficult to understand" how it could be so big unless it is a comet or alien craft.
The Harvard University boffin admits that further observation could prove that the object is a naturally forming comet but stressed that possibility of alien involvement can't be ruled out.
The astrophysicist told MailOnline: "If it is not a comet, then its large brightness would be a big surprise and potentially signal a non-natural origin, perhaps from artificial light."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Interstellar object found hurtling through the solar system
Scientists have discovered a large object hurtling through our solar system. It is only the third time a celestial body from beyond our solar system has been observed travelling through it. The object named 3I/ATLAS is believed to be a comet.
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Perth Now
Mystery interstellar object could be alien spacecraft
A mysterious object seen speeding through the solar system could be an alien spacecraft. The large interstellar object - which has been named 3I/ATLAS - was spotted racing through the universe at 41 miles per second (150,000 miles per hour) last week. It is far larger and brighter than the previous two interstellar objects to pass through our solar system, 'Oumuamua and Borissov, and extraterrestrial expert Professor Avi Loeb says that is "difficult to understand" how it could be so big unless it is a comet or alien craft. The Harvard University boffin admits that further observation could prove that the object is a naturally forming comet but stressed that possibility of alien involvement can't be ruled out. The astrophysicist told MailOnline: "If it is not a comet, then its large brightness would be a big surprise and potentially signal a non-natural origin, perhaps from artificial light."
The Advertiser
04-07-2025
- The Advertiser
New comet is third interstellar object in solar system
Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted comet hailing from parts unknown, only the third time such an interstellar object has been observed visiting our solar system. According to US space agency NASA, the interloper - named 3I/ATLAS - was first spotted on Tuesday by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope located in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Astronomers said its unusual trajectory indicated it had ventured from beyond our solar system. Journeying at a speed of around 60km per second from the direction of the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, 3I/ATLAS is presently located about 670 million km from Earth. "Beyond that we do not know very much, and there are many efforts underway to observe this object with larger telescopes to determine composition," University of Hawaii astronomer Larry Denneau, co-principal investigator for ATLAS, said on Thursday. The only other such interstellar visitors previously observed by astronomers were objects called 1I/'Oumuamua (pronounced oh-MOO-uh-MOO-uh), detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2019. "The comet has some similarities to 2I/Borisov in that it appears to be an icy comet, but it is much larger, possibly 10km in diameter," Denneau said. "It currently has a faint coma," Denneau added, referring to the cloud of gas and dust surrounding a comet's nucleus, "but the coma and tail may increase dramatically as the object comes closer to the sun. Its closest approach to the sun will be later this year, when it will come inside the orbit of Mars. We don't know what will happen, so that's exciting." Astronomers said the comet poses no threat to Earth and will never come closer than 240 million km away, equivalent to more than one-and-a-half times the distance between Earth and the sun. It is currently located about 670 million km from the sun and will reach its closest approach to the sun around October 30, when it will be about 210 million km away from our star. The ATLAS network is a NASA-funded telescope survey built and operated by the University of Hawaii, with five telescopes around the world that scan the night sky continuously to look for objects that could threaten Earth. Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted comet hailing from parts unknown, only the third time such an interstellar object has been observed visiting our solar system. According to US space agency NASA, the interloper - named 3I/ATLAS - was first spotted on Tuesday by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope located in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Astronomers said its unusual trajectory indicated it had ventured from beyond our solar system. Journeying at a speed of around 60km per second from the direction of the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, 3I/ATLAS is presently located about 670 million km from Earth. "Beyond that we do not know very much, and there are many efforts underway to observe this object with larger telescopes to determine composition," University of Hawaii astronomer Larry Denneau, co-principal investigator for ATLAS, said on Thursday. The only other such interstellar visitors previously observed by astronomers were objects called 1I/'Oumuamua (pronounced oh-MOO-uh-MOO-uh), detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2019. "The comet has some similarities to 2I/Borisov in that it appears to be an icy comet, but it is much larger, possibly 10km in diameter," Denneau said. "It currently has a faint coma," Denneau added, referring to the cloud of gas and dust surrounding a comet's nucleus, "but the coma and tail may increase dramatically as the object comes closer to the sun. Its closest approach to the sun will be later this year, when it will come inside the orbit of Mars. We don't know what will happen, so that's exciting." Astronomers said the comet poses no threat to Earth and will never come closer than 240 million km away, equivalent to more than one-and-a-half times the distance between Earth and the sun. It is currently located about 670 million km from the sun and will reach its closest approach to the sun around October 30, when it will be about 210 million km away from our star. The ATLAS network is a NASA-funded telescope survey built and operated by the University of Hawaii, with five telescopes around the world that scan the night sky continuously to look for objects that could threaten Earth. Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted comet hailing from parts unknown, only the third time such an interstellar object has been observed visiting our solar system. According to US space agency NASA, the interloper - named 3I/ATLAS - was first spotted on Tuesday by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope located in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Astronomers said its unusual trajectory indicated it had ventured from beyond our solar system. Journeying at a speed of around 60km per second from the direction of the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, 3I/ATLAS is presently located about 670 million km from Earth. "Beyond that we do not know very much, and there are many efforts underway to observe this object with larger telescopes to determine composition," University of Hawaii astronomer Larry Denneau, co-principal investigator for ATLAS, said on Thursday. The only other such interstellar visitors previously observed by astronomers were objects called 1I/'Oumuamua (pronounced oh-MOO-uh-MOO-uh), detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2019. "The comet has some similarities to 2I/Borisov in that it appears to be an icy comet, but it is much larger, possibly 10km in diameter," Denneau said. "It currently has a faint coma," Denneau added, referring to the cloud of gas and dust surrounding a comet's nucleus, "but the coma and tail may increase dramatically as the object comes closer to the sun. Its closest approach to the sun will be later this year, when it will come inside the orbit of Mars. We don't know what will happen, so that's exciting." Astronomers said the comet poses no threat to Earth and will never come closer than 240 million km away, equivalent to more than one-and-a-half times the distance between Earth and the sun. It is currently located about 670 million km from the sun and will reach its closest approach to the sun around October 30, when it will be about 210 million km away from our star. The ATLAS network is a NASA-funded telescope survey built and operated by the University of Hawaii, with five telescopes around the world that scan the night sky continuously to look for objects that could threaten Earth. Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted comet hailing from parts unknown, only the third time such an interstellar object has been observed visiting our solar system. According to US space agency NASA, the interloper - named 3I/ATLAS - was first spotted on Tuesday by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope located in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Astronomers said its unusual trajectory indicated it had ventured from beyond our solar system. Journeying at a speed of around 60km per second from the direction of the centre of the Milky Way galaxy, 3I/ATLAS is presently located about 670 million km from Earth. "Beyond that we do not know very much, and there are many efforts underway to observe this object with larger telescopes to determine composition," University of Hawaii astronomer Larry Denneau, co-principal investigator for ATLAS, said on Thursday. The only other such interstellar visitors previously observed by astronomers were objects called 1I/'Oumuamua (pronounced oh-MOO-uh-MOO-uh), detected in 2017, and 2I/Borisov, discovered in 2019. "The comet has some similarities to 2I/Borisov in that it appears to be an icy comet, but it is much larger, possibly 10km in diameter," Denneau said. "It currently has a faint coma," Denneau added, referring to the cloud of gas and dust surrounding a comet's nucleus, "but the coma and tail may increase dramatically as the object comes closer to the sun. Its closest approach to the sun will be later this year, when it will come inside the orbit of Mars. We don't know what will happen, so that's exciting." Astronomers said the comet poses no threat to Earth and will never come closer than 240 million km away, equivalent to more than one-and-a-half times the distance between Earth and the sun. It is currently located about 670 million km from the sun and will reach its closest approach to the sun around October 30, when it will be about 210 million km away from our star. The ATLAS network is a NASA-funded telescope survey built and operated by the University of Hawaii, with five telescopes around the world that scan the night sky continuously to look for objects that could threaten Earth.
