Could it be an extraterrestrial probe?

3i / Atlas is a quick and fast interstellar object. Its strange characteristics fuel scientific study and speculation.

On July 1, astronomers detected a strange and rapidly evolving object towards the sun. Named 3i / Atlas, he stood out for a remarkable reason: her orbit revealed that she had arrived beyond our solar system.

This only marked the third confirmed discovery of an interstellar object, and its properties were very unusual.

3i / Atlas Racake Records

The measurements have shown that 3i / atlas accelerating in space at around 245,000 kilometers per hour, making it the fastest body ever recorded in our solar system.

Its size was just as striking. The first estimates suggest that it could extend up to 20 kilometers, and scientists think that it can be prior to the sun itself.

Could it be foreign?

Astronomers generally assume that new objects are made of rock or ice. However, the unusual characteristics of 3i / Atlas have led some to speculate that this could be something more.

Harvard Astrophysicist Avi Loeb and his colleagues recently published an article on the Arxiv pre -print server entitled Alien Interstellar Object 3i / Atlas technology? (The document has not yet been examined by peers.)

Loeb is a controversial figure among astronomers and astrophysicists. He previously suggested that the first known interstellar object, 1i / ʻoumuamua, discovered in 2017, could also be a foreign craftsmanship.

Among other oddities, LOEB may suggest signs of deliberate extraterrestrial origin, he notes that the orbit of 3i / Atlas Venus,, March And Jupiter.

We sent our own extraterrestrial probes

The idea of ​​extraterrestrial probes wandering in the cosmos may seem strange, but humans sent some in the 1970s. Traveling 1 and 2 officially left our solar system, and pioneers 10 and 11 are not far behind.

It is therefore not an exaggeration to think that extraterrestrial civilizations – if they exist – would have launched their own galactic explorers.

However, this brings us to a crucial question: unless little green men who came out to say hello, how would we really know if 3i / atlas, or any other interstellar object, was an extraterrestrial probe?

Detection of extraterrestrial probes 101

The first step is simply detection. Most objects in our solar system do not produce light but are visible only by reflecting sunlight.

The larger bodies reflect more light, which makes them easier to spot, so most of what we detect at great distances are asteroids or bigger comets.

Small objects are much more difficult to find. Currently, we can only follow bodies as small as 10 to 20 meters at the distance from Jupiter.

Our own traveling probes are around 10 meters (including their radio antennas). If an extraterrestrial probe was similar, we would probably not notice it before it was already in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Signs of a real probe

If something unusual was observed, the next step would be to distinguish between a natural body and a technological step.

Because a natural explanation is very likely, scientists would first seek signs compatible with ordinary objects. For example, a visible “tail” of gas, like that produced by the comets, would point to a non -American origin.

However, we could also want to search for extraterrestrial origin. A very strong evidence would be any type of radio waves from the probe as a form of communication. This assumes that the probe was still in working order and not completely disappeared.

We could also look for signs of electrostatic discharge caused by sunlight striking the probe.

Another dead gift would be signs of maneuver or propulsion. An active probe could try to correct its course or reposition your antennas to send and receive signals to and since its origin.

And a real firearm would be an approach to the earth on a stable orbit. Do not boast, but the earth is really the most interesting place in the solar system – we have water, a healthy atmosphere, a strong magnetic field and a life. A survey with decision -making capacity would probably want to investigate and collect data on our interesting little planet.

You can never know

Without clear sign in one way or another, however, it may be impossible to know whether certain interstellar objects are natural or made extraterrestrial.

Objects like 3i / Atlas remind us that the space is vast, strange and full of surprises. Most of them have natural explanations. But the strangest objects are worth a second look.

For the moment, 3i / Atlas is probably just an unusually fast, old and icy visitor of a distant system. But it also serves as a test case: a chance to refine how we are looking for, observe and ask questions about the universe.

Reference: “Is Alien Interstellar Object 3i / Atlas?” By Adam Hibberd, Adam Crowl and Abraham Loeb, July 21, 2025, Arxiv.
DOI: 10.48550 / Arxiv.2507.12213

Adapted from an article initially published in the conversation.

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