Sept. 28, 2025
Scientists Think 3I/ATLAS Could Be an Alien Spacecraft - Here's the Evidence
Could 3I/ATLAS be our first confirmed visitor from another civilization? Tonight we examine the intriguing evidence that has led some of the world's most respected scientists to consider this possibility. From its unusual early activity that initially puzzled astronomers, to its rare alignment with our solar system's planets, to its anomalous mass of 33 billion tons that defies conventional comet behavior - we explore both sides of this cosmic mystery with scientific rigor and wonder.
WEBVTT
1
00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:12.279
Calarogu Shark Media welcome cosmic investigators to a special episode
2
00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:16.839
of Sleep from Space. Tonight, we explore one of the
3
00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:21.719
most captivating questions of our time. Could three EYE Atlas
4
00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:28.280
be humanities first encounter with technology from another civilization? As
5
00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:33.920
we examine this possibility with scientific rigor and wonder, settle in,
6
00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.159
close your eyes, and let the mysteries of the cosmos
7
00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:44.799
guide you toward peaceful contemplation. Imagine yourself floating in the
8
00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:50.640
vast expanse of space, positioned perfectly to observe three I
9
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.200
Atlas as it continues its remarkable journey through our Solar System.
10
00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:00.320
From this vantage point, we'll examine the evidence that has
11
00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.120
led some of the world's most respected scientists to consider
12
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:09.400
an extraordinary possibility. When three I Atlas was first discovered
13
00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:15.560
in July twenty twenty five, astronomers immediately noticed something unusual.
14
00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:21.079
Unlike typical comets that remain dormant until they approach much
15
00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:25.480
closer to the Sun, this object was already active at
16
00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:30.400
an extraordinary distance. It was glowing and developing a coma
17
00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:35.640
when most natural objects would still be completely frozen and inactive.
18
00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:40.879
This early activity was puzzling enough to capture the attention
19
00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:45.480
of researchers worldwide. What could cause an object to begin
20
00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:50.319
outgassing so far from our Sun's warming influence. The immediate
21
00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:54.280
assumption was that we were observing some form of natural
22
00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:59.439
phenomenon we hadn't encountered before, But as more data arrived,
23
00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:05.239
the mystery only deepened. Doctor Avi Loeb, the respected Harvard
24
00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:09.800
astrophysicist who previously suggested that Umu Mua might be artificial,
25
00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:14.759
has pointed to several characteristics of three I Atlas that
26
00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:21.680
challenge conventional explanations. The object's trajectory aligns remarkably well with
27
00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:26.000
our Solar system's ecliptic plane, the flat disc where most
28
00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:31.120
planets orbit. For a random interstellar object, the probability of
29
00:02:31.159 --> 00:02:34.719
such an alignment is only about one in one hundred.
30
00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:40.319
Consider the implications of this alignment. If three I Atlas
31
00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:45.719
were simply a natural comet ejected randomly from another stellar system,
32
00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.240
we would expect it to approach from any direction in
33
00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.680
three dimensional space. The fact that it's traveling roughly in
34
00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:58.639
the same plane as our planets suggests either remarkable coincidence
35
00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:04.159
or perhaps some thing more deliberate. Even more intriguing is
36
00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:09.879
the object's mass characteristics. Recent studies suggest three Eye Atlas
37
00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:14.919
weighs approximately thirty three billion tons, making it anomalously massive
38
00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:19.800
compared to previous interstellar visitors. Despite losing one hundred and
39
00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:24.680
fifty kilograms of material per second through outgassing, the object
40
00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:30.240
shows virtually no non gravitational acceleration, the rocket effect that
41
00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:34.960
typically occurs when comets eject material. For a natural comet,
42
00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:41.000
this lack of acceleration is unprecedented. When material streams away
43
00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:44.120
from one side of a comet, it should create a
44
00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:49.639
small but measurable thrust, slightly altering the object's trajectory. The
45
00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:53.919
absence of this effect in three Eye Atlas implies either
46
00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:58.680
an extraordinarily massive and dense core or a more symmetrical
47
00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:04.120
outgassing pattern than we typically observe in natural comets. Picture
48
00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:08.639
three I Atlas as it might appear up close. Its
49
00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:12.439
nucleus hidden within the glowing coma could be a dense,
50
00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:16.720
engineered structure rather than the loose collection of ice and
51
00:04:16.839 --> 00:04:22.000
rock we expect from natural comets. If artificial, its surface
52
00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:27.959
might be designed to outgas symmetrically, maintaining a stable trajectory
53
00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:33.839
while using the sublimating material for some unknown purpose. The
54
00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.959
chemical composition we explored in our previous episode that extraordinary
55
00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:42.879
eight to one ratio of carbon dioxide to water ice
56
00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:48.480
also raises questions. While this unusual mixture can be explained
57
00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:53.199
by formation in an alien stellar environment, it could equally
58
00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:58.560
well represent an engineered fuel or propellant system, unlike anything
59
00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:03.639
in our technological expens experience. Proponents of the artificial hypothesis
60
00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:09.480
point out that an advanced civilization might use carbon dioxide
61
00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:15.800
as a propellant precisely because it sublimates at relatively low temperatures.
62
00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:20.439
Such a design could allow for controlled outgassing and maneuvering
63
00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:26.480
over vast interstellar distances, activated gradually as the craft approaches
64
00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:30.720
the heat source of a target's stellar system. The timing
65
00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:36.720
of Three Eye Atlas's arrival also deserves consideration. In the
66
00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:41.240
vast timeline of cosmic evolution, what are the odds that
67
00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:45.600
an interstellar visitor would arrive during the brief window when
68
00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:50.959
humanity has developed the technology to detect and study it.
69
00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:56.279
Some researchers suggest this timing might not be coincidental that
70
00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:59.519
Three Eye Atlas could be one of many robotic probes
71
00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:05.879
to investigate planetary systems. Showing signs of technological development. However,
72
00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:10.879
the scientific mainstream remains convinced that three I Atlas is
73
00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:17.040
a natural object, albeit an unusual one. NASA scientists emphasize
74
00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:20.759
that it exhibits all the classic behaviors of a comet,
75
00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:26.680
developing a coma, forming a tail, and showing spectroscopic signatures
76
00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:33.040
of familiar cometary materials like cyanogen and diatomic carbon. The
77
00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:38.079
early activity that initially seemed so mysterious is now well
78
00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:43.800
explained by the carbon dioxide composition. The unusual mass could
79
00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:48.959
simply reflect the diversity of objects in interstellar space. We've
80
00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.800
only discovered three such visitors, far too small a sample
81
00:06:53.199 --> 00:07:05.480
to understand the full range of possibilities. As we float
82
00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:10.519
here in the cosmic darkness observing this enigmatic visitor, we're
83
00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:15.040
reminded that the universe is under no obligation to match
84
00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:20.240
our expectations. Whether three I Atlas is a natural comet
85
00:07:20.759 --> 00:07:25.680
with extraordinary properties or something more exotic, it has already
86
00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:31.040
revolutionized our understanding of interstellar objects and the diversity of
87
00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.959
matter traveling between the stars. The search for evidence of
88
00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.839
other civilizations represents one of humanity's most profound scientific endeavors.
89
00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:49.519
Every unusual object, every unexpected signal, every anomalous observation deserves
90
00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:55.160
careful investigation. The scientific method requires us to consider all
91
00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:02.519
possibilities while demanding extraordinary evidence for extraords claims. If three
92
00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:07.680
I Atlas is indeed artificial, the implications would be staggering.
93
00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:12.000
It would represent proof that we are not alone in
94
00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:18.079
the universe, that other civilizations have developed technology capable of
95
00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:22.920
interstellar travel, and that they may be actively investigating our
96
00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:27.839
cosmic neighborhood. But even if three Eye Atlas proves to
97
00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:33.759
be entirely natural, its visit enriches our understanding of cosmic
98
00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:38.480
processes and reminds us that the universe is far stranger
99
00:08:39.039 --> 00:09:01.679
and more diverse than we ever imagined. Two
1
00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:12.279
2
00:00:12.519 --> 00:00:16.839
3
00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:21.719
4
00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:28.280
5
00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:33.920
6
00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.159
7
00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:44.799
8
00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:50.640
9
00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:56.200
10
00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:00.320
11
00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:04.120
12
00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:09.400
13
00:01:09.519 --> 00:01:15.560
14
00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:21.079
15
00:01:21.120 --> 00:01:25.480
16
00:01:25.480 --> 00:01:30.400
17
00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:35.640
18
00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:40.879
19
00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:45.480
20
00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:50.319
21
00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:54.280
22
00:01:54.280 --> 00:01:59.439
23
00:01:59.879 --> 00:02:05.239
24
00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:09.800
25
00:02:10.240 --> 00:02:14.759
26
00:02:14.919 --> 00:02:21.680
27
00:02:21.800 --> 00:02:26.000
28
00:02:26.039 --> 00:02:31.120
29
00:02:31.159 --> 00:02:34.719
30
00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:40.319
31
00:02:40.759 --> 00:02:45.719
32
00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:49.240
33
00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.680
34
00:02:53.759 --> 00:02:58.639
35
00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:04.159
36
00:03:04.199 --> 00:03:09.879
37
00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:14.919
38
00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:19.800
39
00:03:19.840 --> 00:03:24.680
40
00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:30.240
41
00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:34.960
42
00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:41.000
43
00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:44.120
44
00:03:44.159 --> 00:03:49.639
45
00:03:49.719 --> 00:03:53.919
46
00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:58.680
47
00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:04.120
48
00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:08.639
49
00:04:08.719 --> 00:04:12.439
50
00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:16.720
51
00:04:16.839 --> 00:04:22.000
52
00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:27.959
53
00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:33.839
54
00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:38.959
55
00:04:39.079 --> 00:04:42.879
56
00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:48.480
57
00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:53.199
58
00:04:53.240 --> 00:04:58.560
59
00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:03.639
60
00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:09.480
61
00:05:09.720 --> 00:05:15.800
62
00:05:16.439 --> 00:05:20.439
63
00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:26.480
64
00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:30.720
65
00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:36.720
66
00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:41.240
67
00:05:41.279 --> 00:05:45.600
68
00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:50.959
69
00:05:51.600 --> 00:05:56.279
70
00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:59.519
71
00:06:00.199 --> 00:06:05.879
72
00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:10.879
73
00:06:10.920 --> 00:06:17.040
74
00:06:17.160 --> 00:06:20.759
75
00:06:21.560 --> 00:06:26.680
76
00:06:26.959 --> 00:06:33.040
77
00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:38.079
78
00:06:38.120 --> 00:06:43.800
79
00:06:43.800 --> 00:06:48.959
80
00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.800
81
00:06:53.199 --> 00:07:05.480
82
00:07:05.560 --> 00:07:10.519
83
00:07:10.560 --> 00:07:15.040
84
00:07:15.199 --> 00:07:20.240
85
00:07:20.759 --> 00:07:25.680
86
00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:31.040
87
00:07:31.120 --> 00:07:35.959
88
00:07:36.000 --> 00:07:42.839
89
00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:49.519
90
00:07:49.639 --> 00:07:55.160
91
00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:02.519
92
00:08:02.639 --> 00:08:07.680
93
00:08:08.519 --> 00:08:12.000
94
00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:18.079
95
00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:22.920
96
00:08:23.000 --> 00:08:27.839
97
00:08:27.879 --> 00:08:33.759
98
00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:38.480
99
00:08:39.039 --> 00:09:01.679
