New Delhi, Aug 9, 2025 : Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb has raised eyebrows in the scientific community after revealing that a Manhattan-sized interstellar object, designated 3I/ATLAS, is speeding towards Earth’s vicinity — and it may not be entirely natural in origin.

Loeb, chair of Harvard’s astronomy department, shared his observations in a report cited by The Independent, suggesting that the object “may come to save us or destroy us.” While his comment has sparked sensational headlines, the underlying research focuses on the unusual characteristics of the celestial visitor.

Discovery and Size
The object, first detected by a Chile-based telescope under the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), appeared initially as an unknown asteroid approaching Earth’s orbit. Following its discovery, the details were forwarded to the Minor Planet Center, the global authority for tracking new asteroids and similar objects.

Measurements indicate that 3I/ATLAS is over 12 miles (20 km) wide and traveling at an astonishing speed of 37 miles per second. According to NASA’s projections, it will come within 130 million miles of Earth on October 30, 2025. While this is far from a direct collision course, its massive size and speed make it a rare and noteworthy arrival in our solar system.

An Unusual Visitor
Loeb and his team recently posted a paper on the preprint server arXiv (July 16) describing their investigation into the object’s trajectory and brightness. The research, not yet peer-reviewed, suggests the object’s glow — as seen in Hubble Space Telescope images — appears in front of it, rather than trailing behind like a typical comet.

“That’s not what we normally see,” Loeb explained. “Usually, comets have a tail following them, but here the light is ahead of the object.”

He also noted that the mass and size of such a body are unusual for interstellar arrivals. Normally, it would take about 10,000 years for this much material to reach the inner solar system from interstellar space, yet 3I/ATLAS is arriving in a fraction of that timescale.

Possible Alien Origin?
While Loeb has not definitively claimed the object is alien-made, he points out that it does not resemble common natural bodies. “I’m not saying it’s alien technology,” he clarified. “I’m just saying it doesn’t look like a very common thing.” His paper even speculates that it could be an engineered structure, possibly a form of “hostile” alien technology — though this remains purely hypothetical.

Visibility and Safety
Interestingly, the object will be closest to Earth when our planet is on the opposite side of the Sun, meaning it won’t be visible to the naked eye. Nonetheless, Loeb urges careful monitoring of all interstellar visitors, both for scientific discovery and planetary safety.

As October approaches, astronomers worldwide will be watching 3I/ATLAS closely — hoping that this mysterious traveler turns out to be nothing more than an intriguing, harmless piece of cosmic history.