ALIEN SPACECRAFT MYSTERY: Did It Just STOP DEAD in Space?!

A comet streaking across the vastness of space has sparked a debate, fueled by a startling claim: could it be an alien spacecraft? Comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered in July, is an interstellar traveler – a visitor from beyond our solar system. But its recent behavior has led one prominent scientist to suggest something extraordinary is happening.

The comet’s tail, normally pointing away from the sun, began to shift in September. Instead of being pushed back by solar radiation, it appeared to reverse direction. Dr. Avi Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist known for his unconventional theories, believes this is evidence of “braking thrust” – a deliberate slowing down, suggesting intelligent control.

This isn’t the first time Dr. Loeb has proposed an extraterrestrial origin for a celestial object. He previously theorized that ‘Oumuamua, the first interstellar object detected in 2017, was a “thin craft” propelled by sunlight. His ideas, however, are met with skepticism within the scientific community.

But Dr. Loeb argues we shouldn’t dismiss the possibility of a “black swan” event – an incredibly unlikely occurrence with significant impact. Could 3I/ATLAS be a “Trojan Horse,” sent by another civilization with unknown intentions? He currently estimates a 30-40% chance the comet isn’t entirely natural.

Other scientists offer more conventional explanations. Dr. Mark Norris, an astrophysicist at the University of Lancashire, points out that a tail pointing towards the sun, while rare, isn’t unheard of. It can occur when a comet is particularly dense and dusty, with heavier particles resisting the sun’s push.

The key lies in the composition and rotation of the comet, and the size of the dust grains it emits. As the comet nears the sun, the increased solar radiation eventually overwhelms the resistance, causing the tail to align in the typical direction. Dr. Norris emphasizes this phenomenon has a natural explanation, already detailed in existing research.

Furthermore, the comet isn’t actually “braking.” It’s simply accelerating as it falls closer to the sun, pulled by gravity. And surprisingly, it hasn’t exhibited “non-gravitational acceleration” – a slight orbital change caused by gas expulsion – which would be expected from a typical comet. This lack of acceleration, Dr. Norris suggests, is also not particularly unusual for a dense, heavy comet.

The International Asteroid Warning Network is tracking 3I/ATLAS, a move Dr. Loeb interprets as a sign it’s considered a potential threat. Dr. Norris, however, believes it’s primarily a training exercise and a valuable scientific opportunity.

The true excitement, he says, lies in the potential to one day intercept an interstellar object and analyze its composition. These visitors could offer clues about star systems that formed billions of years ago, before our own solar system existed, revealing differences in chemical makeup and behavior.

Currently hidden behind the sun, 3I/ATLAS will become visible again in early December. The European Space Agency’s JUICE spacecraft will observe it on November 2nd, as it journeys towards Jupiter. It will reach its closest point to the sun around October 30th, just inside the orbit of Mars, and will eventually pass near Jupiter, but remain outside Earth’s orbit.

For those hoping to catch a glimpse, it will be visible in the early morning sky towards the end of November, becoming easier to spot as time goes on. This interstellar visitor will remain visible for much of next year before disappearing into the outer reaches of the solar system, continuing its journey through deep space for potentially millions of years.