--- title: "The Mysterious Interstellar Object May Be Slamming on the Brakes, Scientist Says" description: "3I-ATLAS could be an alien craft slamming on its breaks to orbit Mars, noted astrophysicist Ari Loeb argues." date: "2025-10-25" modified: "2025-10-25" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/future-society/atlas-interstellar-brakes-aliens" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Astrophysics" - "Future Society" - "Off-World" - "Space" --- # The Mysterious Interstellar Object May Be Slamming on the Brakes, Scientist Says ![3I-ATLAS could be an alien craft slamming on its breaks to orbit Mars, noted astrophysicist Ari Loeb argues.]() *Jewitt and Luu 2025* In case you missed it, there's a fascinating object from another part of the universe visiting our neck of the woods. Dubbed 3I-ATLAS — "three" as in the third known interstellar object from outside of our solar system — the bizarre entity has had the astronomical community in a quiet fervor since it was first spotted in early July. The object is widely believed to be an interstellar comet, although a handful of experts, including Harvard's [ever-controversial astronomy researcher Avi Loeb](), have [suggested that it might be a visitor]() from an alien civilization. Many of Loeb's peers have [dismissed that possibility](), but that hasn't quieted the firebrand researcher. The object is currently hidden behind the Sun, where it's slated to remain unobservable from Earth for the better part of a month — a blind spot that Loeb had [already speculated]() the object might use to do something unexpected. Now, the latest images from Nordic Optical Telescope, located in the Canary Islands, have provided him with new fodder. Those images suggest that a "tail" of debris the [object sprouted]() as it neared the Sun has now changed directions, and is [instead facing toward the Sun](). Astronomers call this an "anti-tail," a phenomenon which has been observed in a [number of other comets]() going back decades. Anti-tails have a simple explanation: as the object approaches the sun, our [relative position]() makes the long trail of particulate *appear* to flip, when in reality it hasn't changed. Basically, we're getting a 3D optical illusion, exacerbated by the Sun's gravity and our relative position in space. Loeb, though, has another explanation. In his latest blog on the interstellar object, Loeb posits that the anti-tail could show an alien craft applying "braking thrust" — slamming on the brakes, essentially, as it seeks to prolong its sojourn through our star system. "If the object is an alien spacecraft slowing down, and the anti-tail is braking thrust, then this change from anti-tail to tail would be entirely expected near perihelion," Loeb wrote, referencing an idea shared by his colleague Adam Hibberd at the Institute for Interstellar Studies. "In that case," Loeb continues, the "transition would constitute a technosignature in the form of an unexpected phenomenon indicative of controlled maneuvering, possibly with the intention of achieving a bound heliocentric orbit between Mars’s and Jupiter's orbits." Either way, it'll be a while before we know for sure. The object isn't expected to reappear until December 19, at which point it'll be clear whether its trajectory has been altered by a braking maneuver — or if it's still simply hurtling through space like the inert snowball that most scientists believe it to be. **More on** **space:** *[Startup Reveals “Space Armor” to Protect Astronauts From Elon Musk’s Orbital Trash]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()