\n The space object, called 3I\/ATLAS, was first detected by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) survey telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile, on July 1.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n
\n Since then, Israeli-American Harvard professor Avi Loeb has claimed on his Medium blog that the interstellar object could be an alien spacecraft, despite the fact that NASA has identified it as a comet<\/a>.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n Professor Loeb has stated that the 3I\/ATLAS has \u201cdisplayed a number of anomalous characteristics,\u201d which he has outlined in a blog post titled \u201cIs the Interstellar Object 3I\/ATLAS Alien Technology?\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n A more recent blog post, published on August 13, poses the question: \u201cIs 3I\/ATLAS Our Turing Test by a Superior Alien Intelligence?\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n Read more:\u00a0Professor Brian Cox inspires students during Oldham visit<\/a><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n \n It reads: \u201cIt occurred to me that an interstellar object with anomalous properties, like 3I\/ATLAS, could be the Turing Test of humanity\u2019s natural intelligence by some superior alien intelligence.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cIt is well known to any interstellar traveller that there are plenty of icy rocks in planetary systems. These constitute the leftover building blocks from the construction process of the planets.\n<\/p>\n \n \u201cFor that reason, an alien might assume that any intelligent observer on Earth must be familiar with space rocks as they impact the Earth on a regular basis. Not so fast.\u201d\n<\/p>\n \n On August 7, NASA reported that 3I\/ATLAS, which is travelling at 130,000 miles per hour, is the fastest \u201csolar system visitor\u201d ever recorded.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \n Go, Comet 3I\/ATLAS, go! \u2604\ufe0f<\/p>\n Hurtling at a whopping 130,000 miles per hour, this comet has the highest velocity ever recorded for a solar system visitor.<\/p>\n Hubble observations allow astronomers to more accurately estimate the comet’s size: https:\/\/t.co\/s5XkgJcWkF<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/3MihzFCXVx<\/a>\n <\/p>\n\n