Manhattan-sized comet 3I/ATLAS allegedly executed an unusual maneuver while approaching the Sun earlier this week, fueling theories that it could be an extraterrestrial spacecraft.
In a recent blog post, Harvard scientist Avi Loeb cited a report from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which he claimed provided the “first evidence” of a “non-gravitational acceleration” by the celestial body.
It reportedly displayed said behavior while approaching its closet point to our solar star in a phenomenon known as a perihelion.
ATLAS had reportedly been growing much brighter — and bluer — than typical as it reached perihelion.
Harvard scientist accuses NASA of ‘hiding’ critical evidence about Manhattan-sized comet 3I/ATLAS
This stands in stark contrast to most comets, which turn red during their solar visits because their surface is so cold that they absorb blue light and bounce back mostly red light — much like how cold metal glows red when heated.
Loeb speculated that the blue hue “could be a signature of ionized carbon monoxide or a hot engine,” although he noted that it could also be an indication that 3I/ATLAS is burning off a large amount of ice during its approach, the Daily Mail reported.
“The non-gravitational acceleration could be a result of cometary evaporation or technological propulsion,” the professor told the outlet.
Loeb has called these latest readings the ninth anomaly showcased by 3I/ATLAS, which is the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system.
Other characteristics that seem to defy comet behavior include an anti-tail — a jet of particles that points toward the Sun instead of away from it as is typical — and the fact that the entity was flying suspiciously close to Jupiter, Venus and Mars.
According to Loeb, this seemed to suggest that ATLAS could be a potentially hostile alien probe that was sent to conduct reconnaissance on Earth…
…or not.
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In a recent blog post, Harvard scientist Avi Loeb cited a report from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which he claimed provided the “first evidence” of a “non-gravitational acceleration” by the celestial body.
It reportedly displayed said behavior while approaching its closet point to our solar star in a phenomenon known as a perihelion.
ATLAS had reportedly been growing much brighter — and bluer — than typical as it reached perihelion.
Harvard scientist accuses NASA of ‘hiding’ critical evidence about Manhattan-sized comet 3I/ATLAS
This stands in stark contrast to most comets, which turn red during their solar visits because their surface is so cold that they absorb blue light and bounce back mostly red light — much like how cold metal glows red when heated.
Loeb speculated that the blue hue “could be a signature of ionized carbon monoxide or a hot engine,” although he noted that it could also be an indication that 3I/ATLAS is burning off a large amount of ice during its approach, the Daily Mail reported.
“The non-gravitational acceleration could be a result of cometary evaporation or technological propulsion,” the professor told the outlet.
Loeb has called these latest readings the ninth anomaly showcased by 3I/ATLAS, which is the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system.
Other characteristics that seem to defy comet behavior include an anti-tail — a jet of particles that points toward the Sun instead of away from it as is typical — and the fact that the entity was flying suspiciously close to Jupiter, Venus and Mars.
According to Loeb, this seemed to suggest that ATLAS could be a potentially hostile alien probe that was sent to conduct reconnaissance on Earth…
…or not. Possible alien spacecraft 3I/ATLAS makes unusual shift while hurtling towards the Sun — New York Post
Manhattan-sized comet 3I/ATLAS allegedly executed an unusual maneuver while approaching the Sun earlier this week, fueling theories that it could be an extraterrestrial spacecraft.
