The mysterious 3I/Atlas has seen new images released of the object that some fear to be an alien spacecraft.
Space agency NASA has shed new light on the mystery comet during a press conference held this evening (November 19).
New images of interstellar were shown to the public for the very first time through the broadcast on the space agency’s website and YouTube channel.
The images show 3I/Atlas from the Mars rover, the closest camera NASA has to the the object.
Some experts claim it is a comet, like NASA have done in the title of their press conference.
However, theoretical physicist Avi Loeb has suggested it could be an alien “mothership” on a reconnaissance mission as it blasts through the Solar System at 130,000mph.
(Image: AP)
Prof Loeb said its ‘anomalies’ suggest it ‘might’ be an extraterrestrial spaceship.
He stated that the behaviour has been so odd Prof Loeb said he will never be able to rule out the possibility it is an alien craft.
On his UFO scale where zero represents something ‘consistent with known natural phenomena’ and 10 is of ‘confirmed extraterrestrial origin’, he said 3I/Atlas would always at least be a two – an object ‘meriting attention’.
Prof Loeb had urged NASA to release photos taken by its telescopes 40 days ago but have not yet been seen due to the US government shutdown.
During the shutdown – between October 1 and November 12 – the majority of NASA’s staff were placed on furlough, and the agency was prevented from communicating with the public.
(Image: AP)
Since being confirmed as an interstellar object in early June, scientists have been using the world’s best telescopes to gather data on the comet 3I/ATLAS. The comet has now just returned into Earth’s view after making a slingshot around the sun.
Dozens of observatories will be keeping a close eye on the comet as it approaches its closest pass of Earth next month at a distance of 170 million miles (273 million kilometres).
Early next year, the comet will also pass close enough to Jupiter for spacecraft near the planet to make final observations before it leaves our solar system.
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