A newly discovered interstellar object, named 3I/ATLAS, is drawing intense interest from astronomers and space agencies worldwide as it barrels toward the inner solar system at over 130,000 miles per hour. First detected on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, the object has quickly become a topic of debate—both for its unusual trajectory and for what it may, or may not, be.
According to NASA, 3I/ATLAS is a comet-like body believed to originate from outside our solar system. It’s the third known interstellar object to be observed passing through our cosmic neighborhood, after ʻOumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. But unlike its predecessors, 3I/ATLAS exhibits an intriguing set of features that are fueling speculation about its nature.
Its projected perihelion—the point at which it comes closest to the Sun—is expected around 30 October, and it will reach its nearest distance from Earth, roughly 1.8 astronomical units (170 million miles), by late November or early December.
Orbital Quirks and High Velocity Raise Questions Among Researchers
While NASA maintains that 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth, some scientists are examining the object with a more speculative lens. A peer-reviewed study currently available on arXiv.org by astrophysicists Adam Hibberd, Adam Crowl, and Avi Loeb proposes that the object’s unusual orbital dynamics warrant deeper consideration.
Among the highlighted anomalies:
- A hyperbolic trajectory, meaning it’s not gravitationally bound to the Sun.
- A low retrograde orbital tilt, allowing it to approach Earth’s orbital plane with minimal resistance.
- Close flybys of Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, with trajectory probabilities below 0.005%, indicating a path that may not be random.
- The potential for a reverse Solar Oberth maneuver, a high-thrust method that would allow a spacecraft to decelerate effectively using the Sun’s gravity—suggesting, in theory, advanced planning or guidance.
“It’s speculative, yes,” said Professor Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist known for his past assertions about ʻOumuamua’s artificial origin, “but 3I/ATLAS offers similar oddities—only on a larger, faster scale.” In a Medium post, Loeb added that the object’s positioning behind the Sun during perihelion could even provide cover from Earth-based observation.
Still, the authors of the arXiv paper concede that the most probable explanation is a natural, cometary one—yet they argue the object’s behavior justifies ongoing scrutiny.
NASA Pushes Back on Extraterrestrial Probe Theories
In contrast to these bolder claims, NASA remains firmly grounded in the comet camp. According to their detailed official profile, 3I/ATLAS is actively releasing gas and dust, forming a typical cometary coma, as confirmed by high-resolution observations from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Here is a time lapse of comet 3I/ATLAS recorded with my 8″ LX200. The comet is about magnitude 17, right at the limit of what my scope can capture with these 60 second exposures. It’s extremely faint, so I also stacked 65 minutes of light aligned on the comet using astrometry. pic.twitter.com/ROT8fdkkcW
— Astronomy Live (@astroferg) July 21, 2025
Measurements from August 2025 suggest the object’s core ranges between 440 meters and 5.6 kilometers in diameter, encased in a teardrop-shaped dust cloud. Its speed—clocked at over 137,000 mph (221,000 km/h)—further aligns with interstellar velocity norms, rather than powered propulsion.
NASA is coordinating observations across a fleet of instruments including Webb, SPHEREx, and even surface-level assets like the Mars rovers, to gather as much data as possible before the object becomes too close to the Sun to observe safely. It’s expected to reappear in December, offering a fresh observational window.
A Rare Opportunity for Science—Or Something More?
Public curiosity is, unsurprisingly, running high. The parallels to ʻOumuamua, which also sparked alien probe speculation, are difficult to ignore. But scientists are keen to keep expectations realistic.
“We’re dealing with something unfamiliar, yes—but not unprecedented,” said Dr. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina, in response to recent headlines. “These kinds of objects are likely more common than we thought. We’re just now spotting them thanks to improved survey systems.”
Lawler points out that hyperbolic comets are not inherently alien—they simply reflect the chaotic mechanics of star systems ejecting icy debris. 3I/ATLAS likely formed in a distant stellar system and drifted through space for millennia before reaching ours.
Still, the timing and precision of its solar system entry, combined with its apparent “evasion” during perihelion, keep alternative theories alive. For readers following this story, NASA’s Eyes on the Solar System platform provides a live, interactive map of 3I/ATLAS’s trajectory through the inner planets, available here.