Warning Issued Over Comet Hurtling Towards The Sun, Is It Alien Technology?

An interstellar visitor known as 3I/ATLAS, currently hurtling toward its closest approach to the Sun, has ignited a debate among astronomers (and enthusiasts) over its true nature: is it a natural black swan comet from another star system, or, as a Harvard scientist suggests, a potential piece of alien technology (or both)? The hubbub has escalated to the point that the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN), a United Nations-endorsed body, has launched its first-ever systematic monitoring campaign for an interstellar object.

First discovered in July, 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed object to enter our solar system from beyond, following 'Oumuamua (2017) and Borisov (2019). However, this object, estimated to be roughly the size of Manhattan, has displayed characteristics that defy conventional cometary physics.

Chief among the anomalies center on its composition and behavior. Observations revealed it emits nickel tetracarbonyl, a compound known usually to be produced in industrial ...