According to controversial new research by a tiny group of scientists, a strange intergalactic object might be a “hostile” alien spacecraft that is scheduled to assault our planet in November.
“The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity,” the researchers wrote in the inflammatory paper, which was published July 16 to the preprint server arXiv, South West News Service reported.
The interstellar object, known as 3I/ATLAS, was found on July 1 hurtling at over 130,000 mph towards the sun, according to Live Science. It was verified as an interstellar object less than twenty-four hours later, although first observations indicated that it might be a comet, larger than Manhattan, with a diameter of up to fifteen miles.
The three researchers, however, hypothesised in the new report that it might be a disguised piece of alien spy gear.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, known for linking ʻOumuamua to alien life, now suggests interstellar object 3I/ATLAS may also be extraterrestrial. Its unusual speed and trajectory, he argues, could offer aliens stealth advantages—like placing spy devices near planets or avoiding Earth-based telescopes. Loeb warns it might be a “technological artifact” possibly tied to the dark forest hypothesis, implying aliens stay hidden to survive. However, many scientists, including astronomer Samantha Lawler, dismiss this, calling 3I/ATLAS just a fast-moving comet.
In fact, even Loeb admitted in his blog that his alien spy probe theory is a bit far-fetched: “By far, the most likely outcome will be that 3I/ATLAS is a completely natural interstellar object, probably a comet.”
Additionally, the researchers cautioned the public to be sceptical of the paper because it has not yet undergone peer review.
