NASA has confirmed that the object known as 3I/ATLAS is a natural interstellar comet and is not a threat or an alien spacecraft. It is the only third known object from outside our solar system to be observed passing through our cosmic neighbourhood after Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
All about comet 3I/ATLAS
The comet was first discovered on July 1, 2025, through a telescope in Chile that is part of the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Initially, scientists believed that it may be an asteroid, but later it was confirmed as a comet because of its bright coma, which is a glowing cloud of gas and dust surrounding it.
As per the NASA report, 3I/ATLAS is travelling at a speed of 37 miles per second and is expected to come close to the Sun on October 30, 2025, at about 130 million miles from Earth. This comet is also considered the largest interstellar object ever seen, as it is estimated to be more than 7 miles 911 km) wide in size.
NASA scientists have also explained that the comet’s behaviour, including its brightness and trajectory, is completely compatible with the natural icy comets. They have called it a rare opportunity for scientists to study the material from another star system.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb suggests the alien tech theory
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb and two other researchers have drawn attention by publishing a paper on July 16 indicating that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien technology. Loeb has described that study as a “pedagogical exercise”, not a form claim and highlighted the significance of data before concluding, as per a report by USA Today.
Most scientists have objected to Loeb’s observation. “All evidence points to this being an ordinary comet ejected from another star system,” stated a University of Regina astronomer as quoted by People.com.
NASA and other observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope, will continue to monitor 3I/ATLAS in the upcoming months for a better understanding of its origins and composition.