3I/ATLAS 'Dropped Probes' on 'Perfect' Trajectory to Earth, New Claim Alleges

A viral social media post has reignited debate about whether interstellar objects could harbour alien technology, after suggesting that 3I/ATLAS released 'probes' on a perfect course to Earth — a claim experts say has no scientific basis.

Viral Post Fuels Speculation About 'Perfect' Trajectory

On 10 November 2025, the astronomy-focused account @AstronomyVibes posted a graphic on X (formerly Twitter) showing 3I/ATLAS's orbital path through the Solar System. The image's green line appeared 'too perfect' to some users, leading to speculation that the object had deployed smaller crafts expected to reach Earth by early 2028.

The post quickly garnered over 30,000 views and sparked comparisons with ʻOumuamua, the first known interstellar visitor detected in 2017, which also inspired theories about its non-natural origins. However, astronomers have since dismissed the latest claims as baseless conjecture amplified by social media.

NASA and ESA Dismiss Artificial Hypothesis

According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 3I/ATLAS follows a hyperbolic trajectory typical of interstellar comets and poses no threat to Earth. It will make its closest approach on 19 December 2025, at a distance of roughly 268 million kilometres. The agency reports no unusual acceleration or manoeuvring consistent with artificial propulsion.

The European Space Agency (ESA) has likewise confirmed that observed motion patterns align with natural comet behaviour. Experts explain that any apparent precision in its course likely results from outgassing — the release of gas and dust as the object warms while approaching the Sun.

The Origin of the Probe Claim

The viral post's author claimed that the timing and angle of 3I/ATLAS's path 'almost feels planned,' suggesting fragments or probes could reach Earth by 2028. The visual showed a green arc connecting the comet's orbit with Earth's, prompting online users to speculate about artificial intent.

However, space analysts quickly clarified that such alignments are common coincidences when plotting orbital projections. 'The geometry may look uncanny,' wrote one researcher in response, 'but planetary mechanics often produce patterns that seem too perfect to be random.'

No peer-reviewed studies, observatory data, or official briefings have reported any secondary bodies or anomalies near 3I/ATLAS.

What Scientists Know About 3I/ATLAS

Discovered in July 2025 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Chile, 3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object ever identified after ʻOumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019). Its highly eccentric path confirms it originated outside our Solar System.

In October, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb acknowledged the object's composition, notably its nickel-rich, low-water makeup, is 'unusual but not unprecedented.' While Loeb has encouraged open-minded research into possible artificial origins of interstellar debris, he reiterated that 'extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.'

NASA continues to monitor 3I/ATLAS through ground-based telescopes and international observatories. Updated trajectory data will be published following the perihelion, the point closest to the Sun, which is expected in late October 2025.

For now, 3I/ATLAS remains what scientists say it has always been: a rare visitor from beyond the Solar System, mysterious, but still firmly within the realm of natural cosmic behaviour.