Harvard astrophysicist suggests 3I/Atlas may be on a mission to observe Jupiter in bold new theory

​Now, a new idea by Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has seized everyone's attention. The majority of scientists think that 3I/Atlas is no more than a natural interstellar comet just passing our Solar System, but Prof. Loeb thinks its trajectory is a bit too perfect to be disregarded.

To make it more concrete, he says it might be moving in such a way that it feels planned, almost like it could be observing Jupiter.

A comet with a very exact path

NASA’s data shows that on March 16, 2026, 3I/Atlas will pass about 53.445 million kilometres from Jupiter. This distance may sound huge, but it is actually inside Jupiter’s Hill Radius. This is the zone where Jupiter’s gravity becomes stronger than the Sun’s gravity. Inside this zone, objects don’t need much fuel to stay in place, which is why it is considered an ideal point for releasing small satellites.

Prof. Loeb says this match between the comet’s closest distance and Jupiter’s Hill Radius is not a small thing. He even called it an “extraordinary coincidence,” because both numbers are almost the same.

Why Jupiter might interest “someone”

Loeb explained that if any advanced civilisation wanted to study our Solar System, Jupiter would be an important stop. It is the biggest planet, has strong magnetic fields, and has many moons. All of this makes Jupiter a natural place for scientific observation.

Because of this, Loeb believes the comet’s path is worth studying more closely, instead of simply assuming it is natural.

Loeb’s ongoing interest in strange space objects

This is not the first time Prof. Loeb has spoken about unusual behavior in interstellar objects. He often says that science should stay open to different ideas, especially when we see something that does not fully match what we expect from a normal comet.

He has also pointed out the “jet-like” features around 3I/Atlas seen in some images. These look like small streams or bursts coming from the comet. While they can be natural, Loeb says they make the object even more interesting for upcoming observations.

The comet will pass closest to Earth on December 19, 2025, at about 269 million kilometres away. It is too far to cause any harm, but close enough for scientists to study it.

Why we cannot see everything clearly

Even though the comet is getting a lot of attention, Loeb says that Earth-based satellites cannot detect very small objects around it because they are simply too far away. Even NASA’s Juno spacecraft near Jupiter and ESA’s Juice spacecraft are not close enough to see tiny particles or jets coming from 3I/Atlas.

Still a mystery

For now, scientists agree on one thing — 3I/Atlas is a rare and fascinating visitor. Whether it is fully natural or something more, it has become one of the most discussed space objects of the year.