He is one of the best known (and recognized) scientists on the planet: Avi Loeb. He is currently director of the Galileo Project, founding director of the Black Hosts initiative at Harvard University, director of the Institute of Theory and Computing of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and former director of the Astronomy Department of Harvard University (2011-2020). He was a member of the Presidential Council of Advisors in Science and Technology and former president of the Board of Physics and Astronomy of National Academies. Yes, that is Avi Loeb. The same that ensures, in a study, that there is something else behind the interstellar object 3I/Atlas.
On July 1, 2025, an interstellar object was detected, 3I/Atlas, at a distance 4.5 times the earth-sol separation. The problem is that, even at that distance, it was an anomalously brilliant object, which implied an object with a diameter of about 20 kilometers for the typical albedo of the asteroids.
After analyzing the information Loeb published an analysis explaining that this size estimate made little sense for an interstellar asteroid, since the well -known Oumuamua was 200 times smaller and, according to asteroid statistics in the solar system, We should have discovered a million objects from the Oumuamua scale before detecting an interstellar object of about 20 kilometers in diameter, such as 3I/Atlas.
“We know that the 20 -kilometer asteroids are rare -Loeb explained in his analysis -since Non -avian dinosaurs were destroyed by an asteroid of half of that size 66 million years ago, while metric scale asteroids impact the earth every year”
A few days later, Loeb published, now, a scientific study, in which he points out that Detecting a 20 -kilometer asteroid in the interior solar system is an event with a probability of 0.0001.
“But the facts do not always meet expectations -explains Loeb -a week after the discovery of 3i/Atlas, two studies (published here and here) reported that their spectrum observed does not show the spectral traces of atomic or molecular gas typical of most asteroids. On the other hand, the spectrum only shows evidence of redness by the reflected sunlight. This redness could indicate dust or be related to the surface properties of 3i/Atlas. For example, Kuiper belt objects, in the outer solar system, are reddened when organic compounds of their icy surface are exposed to ultraviolet light or cosmic rays for billions of years. This is due to the tolinas, a wide variety of organic compounds formed by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or cosmic of simple compounds that contain carbon, such as carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₃) or ethane (C₂H₂), often combined with nitrogen (n₂) or water (h₂o) ”.
In this way, Loeb questions that, If 3i/Atlas is not an asteroid, nor a kite (based on the absence of spectral fingerprints of carbon molecules around it), what is then?
As 3i/Atlas approaches the sun, it becomes brighter. If it is a solid object without a commentary column of gas or dust around it, its brightness will increase inversely proportional to the square of the decreasing distance to the sun multiplied by the square of the distance to the earth. It is likely that future data on larger terrestrial telescope.
The simplest hypothesis is that 3i/Atlas is a kite and that, due to its great distance from the earth, we do not know the spectral characteristics of its gas coma. “However -Loeb adds -, if future data indicate the absence of a commerce, we will face the tempting possibility that it did not inherit a random speed in interstellar space, but was intentionally sent towards the interior solar system, belonging to a rare population of massive interstellar objects. As I pointed out in an essay published on July 7, this anomalous scenario Remember the science fiction novel Meeting with Ramain which Arthur C. Clarke described the entrance of an extraterrestrial spacecraft of 50 by 20 kilometersnot far from the inferred size of 3i/Atlas, to the interior solar system ”.
Interestingly, 3i/Atlas will pass to its closest point to the Sun on October 29, 2025, when the Earth is on the opposite side of the Sun, which will make it difficult for its terrestrial observations at that time. Under these circumstances, A technological probe could favor its study.
But there are more Loeb statements. “When the details of 3i/Atlas were summarized in Wikipedia a few days after its discovery -clarifies this expert -,, The editors of that entry omitted any reference to 3I/Atlas anomalies. They learned about my article on July 4, but they replied that this should be published in a magazine before being referenced on Wikipedia. To contextualize, the Wikipedia site on 3i/Atlas included at that time only references to scientific ads and news without arbitration. ”
The 3I/Atlas size anomaly will be easily clarified with the next data. For Loeb, science benefits more than an open speech to anomaliessince knowing them motivates the collection of new data to solve them. Guardians’ effort to hide anomalies and maintain traditional thinking will ultimately fail.
“Putting Galileo Galilei in house arrest to suppress the dissemination of anomalies on Jupiter’s moons did not stop modern science, but delayed it, until even the Vatican finally admitted that Galileo was right -Loeb concludes -. We deserve to remain ignorant if we support a closed mind where the guardians deny the dissemination of information on anomalies that contradict the prevailing paradigms. ”