"The mysterious interstellar object streaking through our solar system has a hidden companion that could collide with Mars within weeks. That's the shocking new theory by respected Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who has maintained that the giant mass heading towards Earth may actually be an extraterrestrial craft. The unidentified object dubbed 3I/ATLAS has widely been accepted by scientists and astronomers as a large, frozen comet that's releasing loads of carbon dioxide gas (CO2)."
"Now, Loeb has written a new paper theorizing that there is an unseen 'precursor mini-probe' traveling ahead of 3I/ATLAS as it makes its closest approach to Mars. On October 3, 2025, 3I/ATLAS is projected to pass within 18 million miles of Mars, close enough for detailed images to be taken by a Mars-orbiting camera called HiRISE. If the comet is actually a spacecraft, however, Loeb said the object may adjust its mini-probe's course to intentionally fly near or even crash into Mars."
An unseen precursor mini-probe may be traveling ahead of interstellar object 3I/ATLAS and could reach or collide with Mars within weeks. 3I/ATLAS is widely categorized as a large frozen comet releasing carbon dioxide gas, but its unusual flight path near several planets raises questions about an artificial origin. A precursor probe smaller than 100 meters would be too faint to detect by current telescopes that rely on reflected sunlight. 3I/ATLAS is projected to pass within 18 million miles of Mars on October 3, 2025, with Mars-orbiting cameras able to take detailed images. Calculations indicate a precursor probe could arrive roughly a week earlier in late September, while natural fragments or the observed gas and dust cloud lack the speed or extent to independently reach Mars.
Read at Mail Online
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