A Harvard scientist has expressed concern over an object approaching Earth, emphasizing the need for the planet to be ready for potential unusual scenarios.
Harvard physicist Avi Loeb has shared his apprehensions regarding the newly identified space object 3I/ATLAS.
Loeb has published his own paper on the subject, concluding that the object is ‘not natural.’ He argues that the world cannot simply wait for more understanding about it.
Instead, he urges that steps should be taken to prepare for dealing with the object if the worst-case scenario arises…
3I/ATLAS was first spotted on July 1 by the NASA-funded ATLAS survey telescope located in Río Hurtado, Chile, prompting scientists to investigate its nature.
Remarkably, 3I/ATLAS is only the third known object to originate from interstellar space, meaning it comes from beyond our Solar System.
This conclusion was reached because the object is traveling at a speed exceeding 41 miles per second, which is too fast to be held by the Sun’s gravity.
As the object approaches Earth, it becomes easier to analyze, and NASA along with other scientists, have indicated that it is likely an interstellar comet.
In reality, NASA does not seem particularly worried about 3I/ATLAS and has mentioned that it will be closest to Earth from late October to December.
The agency has also stated that after its passage through the solar system, 3I/ATLAS will continue its voyage into interstellar space, not to be seen again.
Although the notion of an alien spacecraft seems like something from a sci-fi film, Loeb believes it remains a possibility.
He has also questioned the idea, put forth by some scientists, that it is a naturally occurring space object.
In a Medium post, he wrote: “There were claims of a tail.
“But since 3I/ATLAS is accelerating and its current size is not much larger than the angular resolution of Earth-based telescopes, it is not easy to avoid fictitious elongation of the image as a result of the object’s motion.”
He also raised concerns about the apparent absence of gas emissions from the object and noted that its trajectory fits too well within the solar system.
By applying his own ‘Loeb Scale’ to assess the natural or artificial origin of something, he rated 3I/ATLAS a six out of ten.
This rating suggests it is more likely to have been engineered than to be a naturally occurring phenomenon.
In a recent Newsnation interview, Loeb expressed his wish for a global community to unite in making decisions about the threats posed by interstellar objects.
He stated: “I believe that we need an international organization that will make policy decisions about such an object.
“We are worried about existential threats from artificial intelligence, from global climate change, from an asteroid impact, but we never discuss alien technology.”
He reiterated his belief that the object seems to be ‘alien’ rather than a naturally occurring entity in space.
Additionally, he highlighted the significance of having a policy in place for encounters with potentially alien objects.
He emphasized: “The response has to depend on its properties and its intent — what is it doing as it comes closer to us?
“And it’s just like having a visitor in your backyard. You can’t decide on the policy for all visitors. It really depends on the intent of the visitor, and it’s just next door.”