To put that into perspective, it’s incredibly fast. Even though it’s headed in our direction, the good news is that experts say it won’t come anywhere near enough to pose any danger to Earth.
And that’s a huge relief, especially considering recent findings suggest this interstellar visitor is about seven miles across. That’s roughly the same size as the asteroid believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs millions of years ago.
Some people, particularly those who are more inclined to believe in extraterrestrial life, have suggested that this mysterious object known as 3I/ATLAS could be part of a sneaky alien plot.
The theory goes that it might be a cover for an alien spacecraft trying to get close enough to launch an attack when no one is expecting it.
Scientists claim ‘potentially hostile’ aliens could attack Earth
A few researchers have made the bold claim that an object currently passing through our solar system might actually be ‘potentially hostile’, suggesting the possibility of an alien attack within the coming months.
As if everyday problems weren’t enough, now there’s a potential alien threat being thrown into the mix.
The scientists Avi Loeb, Adam Hibberd, and Adam Crowl have all speculated that this object, known as 3I/ATLAS, could be carrying intelligent alien life.
The scientists added that if the object does turn out to be a threat, it would call for Earth to prepare and implement some sort of defensive response.
One of the reasons they’re considering the alien possibility is the object’s size. Still, the most likely explanation, they admitted, is that 3I/ATLAS is a comet, just as it appears.
When was 3I/ATLAS discovered?
NASA recently confirmed the existence of this mysterious interstellar object, which means it originated from somewhere outside of our solar system.
The object was first spotted on 1 July when it was still about 420 million miles away from Earth. Since then, scientists have tracked its trajectory, and it’s expected to get significantly closer over time.
The name ‘3I’ comes from the fact that it’s the third interstellar object we’ve ever detected entering our solar system. ‘ATLAS’ refers to the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, which first picked it up.
NASA’s verdict on the object
Paul Chodas, who leads NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, shared that this object had likely been moving through space for hundreds of millions of years before reaching our solar system.
In a conversation with the Associated Press, he explained that we still don’t know exactly which part of the galaxy this space traveler came from. What we do know is that it’s been on a long, cosmic journey before showing up here.
NASA has made it very clear that 3I/ATLAS isn’t something to worry about. At its closest approach, it’ll still be about 170 million miles away from Earth, which is a safe distance.
“A visitor from another solar system, even though it’s natural – it’s not artificial, don’t get excited because some people do.”
