Key Point Summary – Object is Alien Ship

• Object 3I/ATLAS follows rare retrograde path toward the Sun
• Harvard’s Avi Loeb urges NASA to send six-word greeting
• Loeb warns it could arrive near Earth by Christmas 2025
• No visible tail or gas emissions raise suspicion
• New study finds unusual water activity far from the Sun
• Loeb rates it “6 out of 10” on alien tech scale
• Risks include misinterpretation of the message as hostile

NASA Under Pressure As Time Runs Out

NASA now faces a decision that could define human history. Since the object 3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, it has been hurtling toward the Sun at a pace that leaves little room for hesitation. Because it follows a rare retrograde path, experts say the chance for direct communication is extremely limited.

Avi Loeb, Harvard’s most provocative astrophysicist, believes the agency must act immediately. Therefore, he has proposed a short, clear greeting: “Hello, welcome to our neighborhood. Peace!” According to Loeb, sending this now could open the door to unprecedented discovery rather than endless speculation.

Loeb Warns of Possible Christmas Arrival

If 3I/ATLAS is a probe instead of a comet, Loeb warns it could be near Earth by Christmas. Consequently, humanity would have only months to prepare for either a peaceful meeting or a dangerous confrontation. That is why, he argues, the only realistic method of contact is to send a beam of light or a targeted radio message as soon as possible.

However, Loeb also recognizes the danger. Any intelligent crew could view the signal as a provocation. “A visitor to our backyard can easily enter our home planet within a few months,” he said, stressing that both action and inaction carry serious risks.

Suspicious Signals and Missing Tail

While more than 200 scientists classify 3I/ATLAS as a comet, Loeb remains doubtful. Unlike most comets, this one shows no clear tail. In fact, he believes the faint stretching seen in telescope images may be nothing more than a motion blur caused by its rapid speed. Moreover, it has almost no detectable gas emissions, and its trajectory lines up suspiciously well with the inner solar system.

Because of these anomalies, Loeb developed his own “Loeb Scale” to measure the odds of artificial origin. He gave 3I/ATLAS a six out of ten — which means it is more likely than not engineered — although he admits this rating could change as more observations come in.

NASA Data Shows Strange Activity

Nevertheless, data from NASA and other observatories paints an equally puzzling picture. Telescopes have recorded dust streaming from the object’s Sun-facing side, and Hubble has spotted a faint radiation-swept tail. At nearly four times Earth’s distance from the Sun, it is already losing up to 60 kilograms of material per second — roughly the mass of a small car every few minutes.

Normally, such activity would be impossible so far from the Sun. Yet Auburn University astronomers have found water signatures at 3.5 AU. Since water ice rarely sublimates at that distance, the find challenges standard comet models and deepens the mystery surrounding 3I/ATLAS.

Artificial or Just Odd?

Given these findings, Loeb argues that an attempt to communicate is the logical next step. He suggests using the Turing Test to gauge any intelligence in a potential reply. Furthermore, advanced artificial intelligence could help decipher alien language far faster than humans alone.

Still, the strategy divides experts. Some cite Stephen Hawking’s warnings that advertising our presence could be dangerous. Others believe that refusing to engage could mean missing a historic opportunity. Because the stakes are so high, public opinion has become increasingly polarized.

Countdown to October

In just weeks, 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to the Sun. Consequently, NASA must soon decide whether to follow Loeb’s plan or let the visitor pass in silence. Since another interstellar object may not arrive for centuries, this could be humanity’s only chance for decades.

Ultimately, whether 3I/ATLAS is alien ship, frozen relic, or something stranger, the choice to speak — or to stay silent — will shape our legacy in the universe. And because the clock is ticking, the decision must come now, not later.