Why 3i/Atlas’ alignment is raising questions: Avi Loeb breaks down the 1 in 40,000 odds

There is a space object, 3I/ ATLAS, which has been in the news again. It came into our solar system from far outside of it, which already makes it rare.

In fact, it is only the third object ever seen that came from another star system.

Well, one fact has drawn the attention of many regarding this object. Harvard scientist Avi Loeb said in an interview that the way 3I/ATLAS is positioned in space is extremely unusual.

What is so strange about its position?

As Avi Loeb explained, it would appear that 3I/ATLAS is oriented almost directly toward the Sun as it tumbles. Most comets and space rocks don't do this; they usually spin in whatever random direction.

There is no order or pattern to this. It is normal randomness because they are shaped and pushed around in messy ways. But 3I/ATLAS does not look random.

Loeb said the likelihood that this type of alignment was happening as an accident is about 1 in 40,000. That is very rare. It is like rolling dice and getting the same number again and again.

Why this is hard to explain

Comets are usually explained by scientists with simple concepts: Sunlight warms them, gas and dust are emitted, and that may alter their spin. But even with those explanations, this alignment still looks odd.

Avi Loeb says it does not easily match what we usually see with comets. That does not mean it is something artificial. But it does mean it deserves a closer look.

Is it just a coincidence?

Some scientists believe that all these might still be natural phenomena. They may regard gas jets, dust clouds, or even observational methods from Earth as possibly creating these peculiar appearances.

The kind of observations that the Hubble telescope and the Webb telescope have made about the comet called 3I/ATLAS indicate that the object has cometary characteristics.

It means that 3I/ATLAS is most likely a comet, though it may not resemble the typical However, the question is still open.

Why Avi Loeb keeps asking questions

Avi Loeb believes science should not ignore things that feel uncomfortable or rare. He says asking questions does not mean jumping to wild conclusions.

Even if 3I/ATLAS turns out to be completely natural, studying it helps scientists learn more about objects that travel between stars.

What happens next?

For the record, nobody's claiming that 3I/ATLAS is some kind of alien technology. There is absolutely no evidence for such a thing.

But its weird alignment serves to remind us that space remains a surprising place:

Some things just take time to figure out. For now, scientists will continue to observe, take their measurements, and learn.