Avi Loeb Claims 3I/ATLAS May Be Slowing Down — Alien Craft or Cosmic Trick?

First spotted behaving unusually years ago, which made experts raise an alarm, interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is now showing signs that it might be 'slowing down' as it passes through the solar system.

While NASA maintains that the object is nothing more than a strange but natural comet, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb believes its recent movements could point to something far more extraordinary. According to VICE, Loeb speculated that the intelligent spacecraft is applying the brakes to remain in our solar neighbourhood longer than expected.

Before disappearing behind the Sun earlier this month, telescopes based on the Canary Islands observed 3I/ATLAS with an oddly reversed tail, pointing towards the Sun instead of away from it.

Typically, a comet's tail extends in the opposite direction from the Sun's heat and solar wind. This 'anti-tail' effect, therefore, left observers and experts baffled.

Is 3I/ATLAS Doing an 'Alien Braking' or is it Simple Physics?

NASA and mainstream astronomers have offered a simpler explanation for the curious tail reversal. According to their models, what looks like a tail 'flipping' is actually an optical illusion caused by the comet's position relative to Earth and the Sun's gravitational pull.

As sunlight and debris scatter from the object, the angle of observation can make it appear as though the tail swings around, when in fact, it hasn't moved much at all.

However, Loeb, a scientist known for his bold claims about alien technology, argues that there might be more to it. Earlier this week, he wrote that the change could be evidence of a deliberate manoeuvre.

'The anti-tail might not be an illusion. It could be thrust exhaust from an intelligent craft slowing down to take a closer look at our solar system', Loeb explained.

The scientist's insights have divided the scientific community. While his supporters admire his openness to unconventional theories, others accuse him of sensationalism. Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory shared that they've been seeing similar tail reversals before. To suggest alien engineering without data is 'premature at best'.

Still, enthusiasts aren't completely dismissing Loeb's claims, viewing 3I/ATLAS as part of a pattern that began with earlier interstellar visitors like 'Oumuamua'.

Scientists Await 3I/ATLAS to Re–Emerge from Behind the Sun

For now, 3I/ATLAS remains hidden behind the Sun, making direct observation impossible until 19 December 2025, when it's expected to re-emerge.

Astronomers around the world are preparing to track its trajectory and speed to determine whether it has truly 'slowed down', as Loeb claims.

If it emerges moving along an unexpected path, or if the object appears to hover near the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, it could lend weight to Loeb's theory. If not, the object may simply be another oddly shaped, fast-moving rock obeying the laws of celestial mechanics.

Until then, debates continue about what it really is and its impact on Earth. Some have pointed to the object's peculiar light reflection patterns, while others note that previous 'alien' claims about comets and asteroids have always fallen apart.

Loeb admits that his hypothesis could be wrong as well, but he argues that Science should remain open to possibilities.