Avi Loeb Warns New 3I/ATLAS Behaviours May Signal Risks We Don't Yet Understand

A mysterious visitor from beyond our solar system is forcing astronomers to question everything they know about comets. In recent weeks, 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar comet currently traversing our solar system, has behaved in ways that even veteran scientists find deeply puzzling.

At the centre of the debate is Avi Loeb, the Harvard astrophysicist who invented the Loeb Scale, who says these anomalies may be telling us this object is far more unusual than initially believed. Professor Loeb has suggested that the comet's latest behaviour may merit raising its Loeb Scale rating, signalling that conventional, natural explanations are growing increasingly strained.

Anomalies in Shape and Motion

One of the most striking oddities concerns the comet's shape and the patterns surrounding it. According to recent observations, 3I/ATLAS seems to retain a consistent, repeated shape. This is unlike typical comets, which melt, fragment or change shape as they near the Sun.

More remarkably, astronomers have noted 'clear spinning wave patterns' inside the cloud enveloping the object. These features are virtually unseen in normal comets.

At the same time, the comet is exhibiting what scientists call a 'non-gravitational push', which is a small extra acceleration pointing to forces additional to gravity.

While gas jets from sublimating ices can produce such pushes in comets, the timing and pattern of this movement, when considered alongside the repeating shape and wave-like structures, make a purely natural outgassing explanation increasingly hard to sustain.

Then there is the matter of the tail. At various times, 3I/ATLAS has displayed a rare sun-facing 'anti-tail,' and more conventional comet tails at other times. The anti-tail, which appeared aligned to its rotation patterns and changed slowly, seems far more organised than typical comet tails.

Unusual Chemical Signature

Beyond its strange motion and shape, 3I/ATLAS shows an unusual chemical signature. Observations by major telescopes suggest the comet's coma is rich in metals and depleted in iron. That is a striking departure from what conventional comet-formation theory predicts.

Moreover, some recent studies propose that the mixture of abundant water ice and high metal content might explain many of the unusual features seen so far. According to a spectrophotometric analysis, 3I/ATLAS could be a 'metal-bearing, carbonaceous, and pristine interstellar comet,' possibly undergoing cryovolcanism as it warms. This is a process that is radically different from typical comet behaviour.

Loeb's 'Alien Tech' Hypothesis

Professor Loeb has emphasised that while none of these anomalies alone would definitively prove an artificial origin, together they paint a picture of an object that markedly departs from all known comets.

He notes that the 'series of collimated jets' observed after perihelion extends for millions of kilometres. Some point directly toward the Sun while others point away, a behaviour that could either arise from natural outgassing or, more provocatively, from 'thrusters on the surface of a spacecraft.'

Should the non-gravitational acceleration continue to defy explanation by known physical processes, Professor Loeb argues that hypotheses involving artificial propulsion cannot be dismissed.

While that remains speculative, the possibility raises profound questions; not just scientific, but existential.

Even if not alien in origin, 3I/ATLAS's unusual behaviour tests the boundaries of our models. It challenges astronomers to rethink what qualifies as a comet and what kinds of objects might come from outside our solar system.

Implications for Planetary Defence

If 3I/ATLAS turns out to be more than a natural comet, that discovery could transform our understanding of interstellar objects and force a reevaluation of how we assess potential threats or opportunities from beyond.

In the short term, the unpredictable behaviour of this comet serves as a reminder of cosmic uncertainty: a visitor from beyond might arrive without warning, and what we assume to be benign could harbour surprises.

Meanwhile, scientists are mobilising global telescope networks, spectroscopic analyses, and orbital monitoring to trace 3I/ATLAS's path and behaviour more precisely. Over the coming weeks and months, more data may clarify whether this visitor is simply a strange comet or something far more extraordinary.

For now, Professor Loeb's warning stands as a call to attention: 3I/ATLAS continues to defy expectations, and humanity would do well to watch closely.