Harvard Physicists Warn About Interstellar Object Could Be Nuclear Spacecraft

Earlier this month, Harvard physicists raised some eyebrows regarding the unusual interstellar object, 3i/Atlas, making its way through our solar system. They now speculate it may not just be a typical comet but potentially something more, even suggesting it could be a nuclear-powered spacecraft.

This object was first spotted in early July by the Atlas telescope in Chile, marking it as the third known interstellar object to enter our solar system. According to NASA’s analysis, this object’s light source is puzzling; Dr. Avi Loeb mentioned that it seems to emit light from the front rather than the expected tail behind it.

In a recent blog post, Loeb outlined how the brightness of this object doesn’t align with typical sunlight reflections or the usual behavior of comets during their exit phase. Instead, he’s leaning towards the idea that 3i/Atlas might be generating its own light through nuclear energy.

“Alternatively, it could just be a spacecraft with nuclear capabilities, and the recently seen dust is likely accumulated grime from its journey through interstellar space,” Loeb explained. But he’s quick to note that this is still a hypothesis and further evidence would be necessary to back it up.

Loeb dismissed several other possible natural energy sources, highlighting that primitive black holes yield only about 20 nanowatts. Frictional heating from the interstellar material wouldn’t provide enough energy either, given the existing constraints regarding momentum and density.

What’s particularly striking about this object is its size—it’s larger than Manhattan, measuring around 20 kilometers in diameter. Loeb has also expressed skepticism regarding its trajectory, suggesting that if an object were to enter the solar system randomly, only about one out of 500 would align so perfectly with the orbit of our planet.

Interstellar artifacts like 3i/Atlas are projected to make approaches near other planets as well—Mars, Venus, and Jupiter are all expected to see some activity. And with a close pass to the sun anticipated on October 30, about 130 million miles away, there’s a certain suspense building around what this might mean moving forward.

“If it turns out that this is a technical object, it could certainly have significant implications for humanity,” Loeb noted. “Decisions will have to be made on how we respond.”