Harvard scientist says mysterious object aiming at Earth is ‘not natural’ after pointing out one major issue

NASA spotted a strange object in space on July 1, named 3I/ATLAS, and it’s now heading toward Earth. While most scientists believe it’s just a comet, not everyone agrees — and one well-known Harvard physicist, Avi Loeb, thinks there might be more to the story.

Whenever something large flies through space close to Earth, it naturally gets people talking — especially when it doesn’t act like the usual space rocks we know. The big debate started because, while around 200 scientists are confident it’s just a regular comet, Loeb says there’s something off about it.

Loeb noticed that this object doesn’t seem to have a comet tail — which is usually made of gas and dust that forms when a comet gets near the Sun. He also pointed out that it’s moving in a way that’s a little too “perfect” for something natural. According to him, these things raise red flags.

To help assess whether an object is natural or possibly artificial, Loeb created something he calls the Loeb Scale. It ranges from 0 to 10, with 0 being definitely natural (like a rock or comet) and 10 being definitely artificial (like a spacecraft). He currently ranks 3I/ATLAS as a 6, meaning he thinks it could be engineered rather than something nature just made on its own.

He even went so far as to suggest it might be some sort of “mothership” — a craft designed to send out smaller probes to visit planets like Earth. According to his calculations, if that theory turns out to be true, the mini-probes could reach Earth between November 21 and December 5, 2025.

Loeb says we need to be ready for anything — whether this object turns out to be harmless or dangerous. He also suggested using NASA’s Juno spacecraft, currently near Jupiter, to fly by and check out the object directly. So far, images of 3I/ATLAS taken in July show no signs of a tail, which only adds to the mystery.

While most experts believe it’s probably a natural comet, Loeb thinks every unusual object coming from outside our solar system should be looked at very carefully. He argues that space agencies and governments should have plans in place in case something like 3I/ATLAS turns out to be more than just a harmless space rock.