A small, silent object from another star is cutting through the Solar System. It’s real, not a film, and one scientist thinks it might be sending a message.
On 1 July 2025, astronomers using the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawai‘i detected a faint, fast-moving body unlike any seen before. The discovery, now designated 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1), marked only the third confirmed interstellar object after ʻOumuamua (2017) and Borisov (2019).
Its orbit is strongly hyperbolic, proving it is unbound to the Sun. The comet will reach perihelion at about 1.4 astronomical units and pass no closer than 1.8 AU from Earth, far beyond any threat. It will then slip back into interstellar space, a brief encounter that offers a rare glimpse of material formed around another star.
Harvard’s Avi Loeb: Asking the unsettling questions
For Professor Avi Loeb, a theoretical astrophysicist at Harvard University and founder of the Galileo Project, 3I/ATLAS deserves more than routine observation. In a series of essays published on Medium, Loeb urges scientists to examine whether the object could be technological in origin – a possible artefact rather than a natural comet.
According to his works, the object’s trajectory lies unusually close to the ecliptic plane, its polarisation readings are abnormally negative (–2.77 percent at 6.41° phase angle), and there have been reports of an anti-tail pointing toward the Sun before reversing direction. He also highlights unusual spectral features that, in his view, merit further study.
In another essay, "Does 3I/ATLAS Generate Its Own Light?" Loeb questioned whether the object’s brightness could be caused by self-luminosity rather than reflected sunlight, asking what such a property would imply about its nature.
He later wrote in his article in Medium last August that “by far the most likely outcome is that 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet,” but added that the possibility of a technological explanation should not be dismissed too quickly.
In the same article, he poses a question and answers it himself:
“I asked myself: ‘Will I be happier if future data on 3I/ATLAS in the next couple of months shows it to be a natural comet rather than a spacecraft?’ My answer was: ‘Yes, I would be relieved to know that it is an icy rock, because in that case — humanity will not face any risk.’”
In an earlier article, "Is 3I/ATLAS Our Turing Test by a Superior Alien Intelligence?", Loeb described the discovery as “a test of whether we can recognise something smarter than us when it passes by.”
The view from mainstream astronomy
Most researchers disagree with Loeb’s interpretation. Observations from NASA, the European Southern Observatory, and numerous ground-based telescopes show behaviour consistent with an ordinary comet: a brightening coma of gas and dust, volatile ice outgassing, and a developing tail.
A 2025 arXiv preprint reported detection of water vapour (OH emission) at 3.5 AU, rare but natural. The study concluded that a large fraction of the surface is active, explaining its brightness without invoking technology. NASA emphasises that 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth and continues to encourage monitoring around 29–30 October 2025, when it reaches perihelion.
Astronomer Jason Wright of Penn State wrote that there is “no reason to think 3I/ATLAS is not a comet”, warning against “seeing intention in data that only needs physics”.
Science, imagination, and the dark forest
In his acclaimed trilogy The Three-Body Problem, Chinese author Liu Cixin introduced the Dark Forest theory, portraying the universe as a vast, silent wilderness where every civilisation hides for fear of annihilation. Revealing one’s presence, Liu warns, could invite attack from another species that sees survival as a zero-sum game.
Loeb’s curiosity about 3I/ATLAS indirectly echoes that vision. Could the cosmos be full of watchers who communicate only through silent, uncrewed probes, cautious observers that pass through systems like ours without revealing their origin?
The idea forces reflection on our own behaviour. Humanity has already sent signals into the void: the Arecibo Message beamed toward the M13 cluster in 1974, and the Voyager Golden Records launched in 1977, carrying images and sounds of Earth. If the universe truly is a dark forest, those gestures may be glowing beacons in dangerous woods.
Why this comet still matters
Even if every anomaly proves natural, 3I/ATLAS remains a scientific treasure. Interstellar visitors are vanishingly rare, perhaps one per decade, and each offers a laboratory for studying chemistry, dust composition and planetary formation beyond the Solar System.
Its detection also highlights how modern technology is transforming astronomy. The ATLAS survey, built to spot Earth-threatening asteroids, is now uncovering interstellar travellers instead, turning a defence network into a gateway to cosmic discovery.
Between evidence and wonder
The debate over 3I/ATLAS mirrors the arguments surrounding ʻOumuamua in 2017. Then, as now, Loeb’s readiness to voice unconventional possibilities split opinion between those who saw speculation and those who saw courage.
Both camps agree on one principle: the evidence will decide. Over the coming months, spectroscopic and radar data will reveal whether 3I/ATLAS behaves like a comet or something stranger.
Whatever its nature, this quiet traveller from another star has already reignited a timeless question about whether the universe around us is empty, indifferent or quietly aware.The universe may be a dark forest, and 3I/ATLAS could be one of its silent watchers.
Sanctions are a long-used tool designed as an alternative to military force and with the objective of changing governments’ behaviour, but they also...
Azerbaijan’s participation in the United States-backed Board of Peace reflects a clear calculation of national interest, according to Chingiz Mammad...
Millions of people in Britain are struggling to afford basic necessities, with a new report warning that the number living in the deepest levels of po...
American rapper Ye, formerly Kanye West, has apologised for his past antisemitic remarks in a full-page Wall Street Journal ad, attributing his behavi...
Russian drones and missiles knocked out power in Kharkiv late Monday, while 23 people were wounded and an energy facility damaged in an overnight atta...
New modelling suggests Mars shapes some of Earth’s long-term orbital rhythms, including shorter eccentricity cycles and a 2.4-million-year pattern that vanishes without its gravitational pull.
Chinese scientists say they are moving closer to building one of the world’s most powerful neutrino telescopes, an underwater array known as the Tropical Deep sea Neutrino Telescope, or TRIDENT, that will sit around 3,500 metres below the surface.
The International Astronautical Congress in Sydney brought together over 7,000 delegates from 99 countries, focusing on sustainable space activity, inclusive leadership, and the growing role of emerging nations in the global space ecosystem.
In a discovery that pushes the limits of our cosmic imagination, astronomers have revealed a colossal bridge of gas and stars stretching between galaxies, accompanied by the longest tail ever observed, an intergalactic structure on a scale that rewrites what we know about the Universe.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has activated the state’s National Guard following the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, an incident that has triggered protests and intensified tensions between state and federal authorities.
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday the country should not fear pursuing energy ties with the United States, as Caracas seeks to expand oil and gas production and attract foreign investment.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry has strongly rejected a U.S. magazine report on the death toll during January unrest. Nationwide protests erupted in response to soaring inflation and a national currency crisis.
A mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV was illuminated on Sunday at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, continuing a centuries-old Vatican tradition marking the election of a new pope.
Libya signed a series of multilateral agreements with international and regional partners, including Türkiye, aimed at boosting energy production, accelerating investment and deepening cooperation in the energy sector on Saturday.
China has successfully completed its first metal 3D printing experiment in space, marking a significant step forward in the country’s efforts to develop in-orbit manufacturing capabilities.
A faint hand outline found in an Indonesian cave has been dated to at least 67,800 years ago, making it the oldest known example of rock art and offering new insight into early human migration across Southeast Asia.
New modelling suggests Mars shapes some of Earth’s long-term orbital rhythms, including shorter eccentricity cycles and a 2.4-million-year pattern that vanishes without its gravitational pull.
Ashley St. Clair, mother of one of Elon Musk’s children, has filed a lawsuit against Musk’s company xAI, alleging that its AI tool Grok generated explicit images of her, including one portraying her as underage.
Britain’s Royal Navy has successfully conducted the maiden flight of its first full-sized autonomous helicopter, designed to track submarines and carry out high-risk maritime missions amid rising tensions in the North Atlantic.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment