Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb says the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, dubbed an “alien spaceship”, still presents unsolved mysteries despite fuller data. In a new Q&A on his Medium blog with the founder of a Croatian science and space publication, Loeb detailed standout anomalies ranging from its trajectory to unusual jets.
Anomalies in Path and Composition
Loeb said “fuller” data now suggests 3I/ATLAS “displayed the chemical composition and speed of an iceberg which originated from a star that is about twice as old as the Sun”. He noted the object came within “5 degrees from the orbital plane of the planets around the Sun”, which he equated to “a random chance of a fraction of a percent”.
He also described behaviour that is unusual for a typical comet. Loeb claimed it showed “a major anti-tail jet pointed at the Sun and three mini-jets that are symmetrically organised around its nucleus instead of a standard cometary tail”. The object also released organic molecules and “a deuterium abundance that is a thousand times higher than the cosmic value”.
Possible Explanations and New Observatory
“It is possible that the organic molecules indicate the potential for microbial life in its deep interior,” Loeb said, adding: “Or that its unusual trajectory implies that its cometary appearance represents a Trojan Horse inside of which a technological civilisation planted probes inside of it, but we have no direct evidence for any of these possibilities.”
Loeb and the Galileo Project also outlined efforts to avoid future mysteries slipping past. A joint analysis found that “8% of the Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are birds”, with “periodic fluctuations in the amount of heat emitted by these UAP” resulting from birds flapping their wings.
Loeb described a new observatory concept, now funded for construction at the old residence of Carl Sagan in Ithaca. “A passive radar system will identify UAP in the sky and steer a 0.7-meter sized telescope to obtain a high-resolution image and a spectrum of the UAP,” he said, noting the image will identify fine details and the spectrum will identify chemical composition.
Estimates of Interstellar Visitors
Loeb estimated “of order a quadrillion (10^15) interstellar objects larger than a football field” could exist out to the Solar System’s edge if they move randomly. He added that if any are guided, they could cluster towards us, “similar to bees which are clustered around flowers”.
He warned: “We should not confuse… that a theoretical idea claims a scientific fact.” He quoted Sherlock Holmes: “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
