A new object called 3I/ATLAS is traveling through our solar system at about 36 miles per second. It is estimated to be around seven miles wide—about the size of the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. Thankfully, NASA says it will not come close enough to hit Earth.
Some scientists have suggested that 3I/ATLAS might be more than just a comet. Researchers Avi Loeb, Adam Hibberd, and Adam Crowl have speculated that the object could carry alien intelligence and may be purposely avoiding close observation by Earth’s telescopes. They warned that if the object were hostile, Earth might need to prepare defensive measures.
However, NASA strongly disagrees with the idea that 3I/ATLAS is an alien spacecraft. Paul Chodas, director of NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, told the press that the object has traveled through space for millions of years and is natural. He said it is the third interstellar object ever detected passing through our solar system and that it poses no threat to Earth.
The object was first spotted on July 1 by the ATLAS asteroid warning system, about 420 million miles from Earth. Its closest approach will still be about 170 million miles away—far enough to be safe.
Chodas said, “We have been expecting to see interstellar objects for decades. This one is natural, not artificial. There is no reason to worry about an alien threat.”
