Neil deGrasse Tyson on 3I/ATLAS: ‘Alien of the Gaps’ theory isn’t science

The interstellar comet-like object 3I/ATLAS, which is approaching the solar system at 210,000 km/h, will pass close to four planets (but not Earth) and the Sun in its cosmic journey. The pop culture's fascination with interstellar visitors makes the leap from ‘I don’t know what it is' to 'alien spaceship' relatively smooth. Harvard‑trained astrophysicist and the popular host of the show ‘Cosmos’ has weighed in on the conversation. He said that cosmic mystery should be a call to weigh in more data.

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Alien spaceship theory for 3I/Atlas

Harvard Professor Avi Loeb made headlines when he came up with some intriguing properties of the interstellar object that didn't match the usual known model of a comet or asteroid. 3I/ATLAS, just like the Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019), is coming from outside the solar system. Its unusual high speed suggests that it is not rotating in the solar system bound by the sun's gravity. Like Oumuamua, 3I/ATLAS has non-gravitational acceleration and has an unusual shape and brightness.

“If it doesn’t behave like a comet or asteroid, we should at least consider an artificial explanation instead of ruling it out”, said Loeb. Some speculation suggests that it just has enough time to observe the solar system while staying hidden from the Earth due to its flight path.

Also Read: All you should know about interstellar object 3I/Atlas: Size, origin, arrival, and why has it turned green

Neil deGrasse Tyson weighs in on the debate

Tyson says that we have recently discovered technology to observe fast-moving objects like the Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019), and 3I/ATLAS. He says, “They have some weird properties. The brightness, the rotation rate, and so they don’t match some of our models for what comets and asteroids should do.” But he also warns that the explanation of All-powerful aliens should not be a substitute for the ‘I don’t know what it is.’

He evoked that 'the God of the Gaps' has been replaced by the ‘alien of the gaps.’

In early times, when people didn't understand something, for example, “What causes the weather? The ancient Greeks said it was the rage of Poseidon. Why do orbits deviate over time? Newton said it was the power of God.” Historians called it ‘the God of the Gaps’. Now, when people do not understand something like the Egyptian Pyramid or 3I/ATLAS. It's related to Aliens. Tyson said that “There’s a lot we still don’t know about the ancient Egyptians, and archaeologists should continue to study them.”Similarly, for 3I/ATLAS, “The moment you say, ‘I don’t know what I’m looking at, therefore I know what I’m looking at. I’m looking at aliens.’ That is a leap.” Instead, scientists should try to collect more data. Something Loeb also echoed in his statement, which could be possible from the satellite orbiting the Red planet.

Also Read: Origin of 3I/ATLAS: Scientists claim the interstellar visitor is travelling from THIS point in space