Harvard astronomer: "Spaceships" may disguise themselves as comets approaching Earth, with reverse comet tails and rare components... unlike natural celestial bodies.

3I/ATLAS will pass through its perihelion on October 29. The reverse comet tail, orbital inclination, and compositional characteristics have sparked a debate between Harvard scholar Avi Loeb and mainstream planetary scientists regarding the 'alien spacecraft' hypothesis. The international community is awaiting observational data to verify whether this interstellar visitor is a comet or an intelligent artifact. The interstellar body, 3I/ATLAS, which has intruded from outside the solar system, will pass through its perihelion next week on October 29, at which point it will be traveling at a speed of approximately 68 kilometers per second and will temporarily be obscured by the dazzling sunlight. It is the third confirmed interstellar visitor, yet its unique 'reverse comet tail', reddish coma, and unusual nickel and cyanide content have led to a split in the astronomical community: is it a natural comet or an alien probe? 3I/ATLAS was first captured in early July this year by the ATLAS telescope system, which detected a faint point of light about the size of New York City. NASA asteroid researcher Tom Statler promptly submitted the observation data to the International Astronomical Union and made a preliminary classification, categorizing 3I/ATLAS as a comet. He emphasized: 'It looks like a comet, behaves like one, and is very much like the comets we know.' However, Avi Loeb, the director of Harvard's astronomy department, disagrees. He believes that multiple signs indicate 3I/ATLAS may be a spacecraft built by an alien civilization, maneuvering using solar gravity: Unusual orbit: The object's path is highly aligned with the orbital plane of planets in our solar system, which statistically has a very low probability. 'Reverse comet tail': Unlike typical comets whose tails point away from the sun, 3I/ATLAS has been observed to have a halo pointing towards the sun, also known as a 'reverse comet tail.' Massive size and mass: Its dimensions and mass far exceed those of the previously detected two interstellar objects, with a diameter of at least 3.1 miles and an estimated weight of 33 billion tons. This size is equivalent to 569 Great Walls of China or 5.5 billion elephants. Unusual composition: Spectral analysis detected high concentrations of nickel and very little iron, which is uncommon in natural celestial bodies but prevalent in industrially produced nickel alloys. He estimated in multiple interviews that the probability of 'non-natural origin' could be as high as 30% to 40%… although the probability is not high, if confirmed, the implications for human civilization would be immeasurable. Oberth effect and 'black swan' controversy Loeb focused on the 'Oberth effect.' According to rocket dynamics, if a thruster burns at the fastest perihelion, the same amount of fuel can yield a greater change in kinetic energy. He speculated that 3I/ATLAS may not only perform maneuvers on October 29 but might also deploy mini-probes into the solar orbit between Mars and Jupiter or fly near Venus. Loeb further pointed out that the orbital plane of the body makes an angle of less than 5 degrees with the ecliptic plane, 'the random probability is only about one in five hundred', which deepens his confidence in the 'mothership' hypothesis. This argument has sparked widespread discussion in the scientific community. Some planetary scientists believe that Loeb's data selection is biased high, ignoring other interstellar comets that may also fall within a sample space of low-inclination orbits; others remind that a 30% subjective probability is not derived from measurements but rather from personal judgment. Follow-up observations and defense exercises 3I/ATLAS is expected to come closest to the sun at the end of October 2025 and to the Earth on December 19, 2025, with optical, infrared, and radio telescopes worldwide already scheduled for observation periods. Once it is captured again, astronomers will compare orbital changes to check for any slight shifts caused by 'braking' and track whether the comet tail shape continues to maintain the reverse. Prior to this, the International Asteroid Warning Network will conduct planetary defense exercises from November 27 to January 27 next year, testing distance measurement, dust monitoring, and dynamical prediction capabilities for non-stellar interstellar objects. In summary, there is currently no direct evidence linking 3I/ATLAS to alien civilizations, but it has compelled scientists to examine the limits of observational methods and theoretical assumptions. Regardless of whether the final conclusion points to a natural comet or an intelligent artifact, this interstellar traveler has opened a new window of imagination for humanity and reminds everyone that the vast universe still harbors countless unknowns, with the next challenge possibly lying just beyond the observational blind spots. Related reports Quantum leap of Bitcoin: How will everything change by 2030? Musk's tough question: Can quantum computers crack Bitcoin? In the face of quantum attacks, should Satoshi's 1.09 million Bitcoins be moved? 'Harvard astronomer: 'Alien spacecraft' may disguise as a comet approaching Earth, reverse comet tail and rare composition… unlike natural celestial bodies' was first published in BlockTempo, the most influential blockchain news media.