A new scientific report has revealed that the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, the third cosmic traveler detected coming from outside our Solar System, is significantly larger and more massive than previously estimated. Calculations indicate that the object, which has been compared to the size of Manhattan Island, has a solid nucleus with a diameter exceeding 3.1 miles (about 5 km) and a mass greater than 33 billion tons. This size anomaly has reignited the debate about its true nature, especially after a prominent Harvard astrophysicist suggested that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien technological artifact. However, the majority of the scientific community contests this idea.
Mass Calculation and Unusual Trajectory
Researchers arrived at the new estimate of mass and size by analyzing the trajectory of 3I/ATLAS within the Solar System.
The calculation took into account the object’s non-gravitational acceleration and the amount of mass being shed via gases and dust particles. The result suggests that it is, in terms of mass and size, up to five orders of magnitude larger than its interstellar predecessors, ‘Oumuamua (detected in 2017) and 2I/Borisov (in 2019). The object, primarily composed of carbon dioxide, continues to be monitored by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA) as it moves through our planetary environment.
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The Extraterrestrial Technology Argument
Astrophysicist Avi Loeb of Harvard University and his team have argued that the anomalous characteristics of 3I/ATLAS, such as its non-gravitational acceleration and an unusual approach to Jupiter, Venus, and Mars, could be evidence that the object is an alien probe.
The team suggests that the “low retrograde inclination” of 3I/ATLAS, rotating in the opposite direction of the main bodies in our system, would allow it to perform a more efficient “reconnaissance” of the inner planets. For the researchers supporting this hypothesis, the trajectory and size would be too unusual for a natural celestial body, justifying the consideration of a possibility of advanced technological origin.
Scientists Contest the Artificial Hypothesis
The theory suggesting an artificial origin for the interstellar object is widely countered by other astronomers and researchers from institutions such as SETI and NASA.
They assert that the properties of 3I/ATLAS are fully compatible with natural phenomena, such as the gravitational ejection of a body from another star system. Critics of the alien thesis point to several facts that support its natural origin:
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- The hyperbolic velocity of approximately 58 km/s is typical of objects gravitationally ejected from distant systems.
- The light spectrum of 3I/ATLAS is similar to that of D-type asteroids and the comet 2I/Borisov.
- The object’s anomalous trajectory can be explained by the galactic plane, where most stars are located.
These pieces of evidence reinforce that, although it is an exotic and unusual comet, it behaves in accordance with the laws of physics and geology.
Upcoming Observations and Cosmic Safety
Recently, two probes orbiting Mars recorded the “closest view” ever obtained by ESA of 3I/ATLAS, providing crucial data for future analyses.
Despite the speculation, the trajectory of 3I/ATLAS indicates that it poses no threat to Earth. It will pass at a safe distance, with its closest approach to the Sun occurring on October 29, when Earth will be on the opposite side of the star, and it will reach the closest point to Mars in its orbit.
A Cosmic Visitor Older Than the Sun
Independent analyses of its orbit and composition suggest that 3I/ATLAS may have originated from the Milky Way’s thick disk.
These observations indicate that the comet could be billions of years old, possibly predating the Sun and Earth themselves. This extreme antiquity, combined with its physical characteristics, establishes it as a valuable natural specimen from other regions of the galaxy, offering unique clues about how planetary systems form outside of our own. The opportunity to study such an ancient and distant body has the potential to significantly enhance astronomy’s understanding of the universe.
