Since the exploration of space began, there has always been one question in humanity’s mind: Is there life beyond Earth? Can life exist on other planets?
In a major update, a celestial object is approaching towards Earth. This has left scientists and experts amazed.
What is the mysterious object heading towards Earth?
Scientists have called this mysterious celestial body 31/Atlas. It is believed to be 19 km in diameter. On December 19, it will be at its closest to Earth, 273.5 million km away. A trio of scientists from Harvard University, USA, published a paper posing serious questions. They want to know if it could be advanced alien technology. The team also includes the noted astrophysicist Avi Loeb.
According to the official website of NASA, Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our solar system to be discovered. Astronomers have categorized this object as interstellar because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path. (It does not follow a closed orbital path about the Sun.) When the orbit of 3I/ATLAS is traced into the past, the comet clearly originates from outside our solar system.
When will it come closest to Earth?
“Comet 3I/ATLAS poses no threat to Earth and will remain far away. The closest it will approach our planet is about 1.8 astronomical units (about 170 million miles, or 270 million kilometers). 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to the Sun around Oct. 30, 2025, at a distance of about 1.4 au (130 million miles, or 210 million kilometers) – just inside the orbit of Mars,” NASA on its official website said.
What do Harvard experts say about its unusual characteristics?
According to the The Sun report, Nick Pope, a retired Ministry of Defence UFO investigator, stated, “It is not beyond the realms of science fiction that 31/Atlas could be an alien spaceship of some kind. “It’s an unusual size, unusual acceleration, unusual course and unusual behaviour – those things combined very closely match a sort of mapping or survey mission,” he stated.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Scientists have called this mysterious celestial body 31/Atlas.
- It is believed to be 19 km in diameter.
- Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our solar system to be discovered.
- Astronomers have categorized this object as interstellar because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path.
He even listed six primary theories proposed by Harvard experts about the peculiar object. Here is the first one:
- Abnormally Large Size: It is too large to be an ordinary asteroid, and is substantially larger than the average asteroid calculated to have been observed within our solar system.
- It seems to have an unusual rate of acceleration for a natural object. The European Space Agency and Hubble Space Telescope calculated its speed to be around 130,000 mph and NASA stated that for that speed, it is the fastest visitor of our solar system.
- The humans identified it quite late as it was coming from the centre of the galaxy where there were a lot of obstructions, lights, and stars.
- Invisible to the Naked Eye: At its closest approach, the Sun will be positioned between Earth and Atlas, making it impossible for us to see the object.