00:00Well, scientists are keeping a close eye on a massive object flying straight toward our sun.
00:04The Manhattan-sized object is called 3-Eye Atlas.
00:07And during observation, scientists have been seeing it change color and even grow a cometary tail.
00:12Their findings have led to some belief that this object may actually be made by another life form.
00:18So, joining me now is Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb to talk about the latest development.
00:23Avi, I've been listening to every talk that you've been given over the last several months on this particular object.
00:27Nie rozumiem to że to jest zainteresowanej czy zainteresowanej?
00:31Nie, nie jest to zainteresowanej czy zainteresowanej.
00:34Nie jest jak zainteresowanej czy zainteresowanej.
00:37Więc to jest to jak zainteresowanej oczekiwania w życiu w sobie zainteresowanych.
00:42Nie ma się to nie widzieć jak na rok, że się zainteresowanej.
00:45Więc inny to, co zainteresowanej, to może mieć zainteresowanej.
00:49Wymianie, jeśli jest technologicznie w originie.
00:53So we can't just dismiss the possibility that it's technological because the other possibility is more likely.
01:00We have to consider it seriously as a possible black swan event.
01:04And that means we have to take as much data as possible.
01:08So this object came in the plane of the planets, which is very unlikely.
01:12It's a chance of one in 500.
01:15And so perhaps it's on a reconnaissance mission.
01:18It just passed the sun on October 29th, last week.
01:22And after that, it changed course.
01:27And I calculated that it must have lost at least a tenth of its mass if it's a natural comet.
01:32However, yesterday there were images of it that didn't show any cometary tail.
01:38There is no evidence.
01:39And I wanted to ask you about that.
01:40What does that mean if it does not show a cometary tail?
01:43And is there a universe in which it could be a comet but still not show a tail?
01:50Yes, it's possible.
01:51But we should at least see the mass that it lost, which is a substantial fraction of its initial mass.
01:58And we haven't yet been able to verify if that's the case.
02:02Of course, the alternative is that there is some engine that is propelling it.
02:07It's not, you know, the evaporation, the cometary evaporation of volatiles from the surface of the object.
02:14And as time goes on, in the coming weeks, it's coming out away from the sun.
02:20When it was closest to the sun, we couldn't look at it because the Earth was on the opposite side.
02:25But in the coming weeks, leading to December 19th, that's when it will be closest to Earth.
02:31We should learn much more about it.
02:32And my hope is, you know, we will figure out whether it's natural or technological.
02:38And that's why science is exciting because we don't need to assume that we know the answer in advance.
02:43We don't need to behave like the adults in the room.
02:45So there was another report that said it shows no signs of non-gravitational acceleration.
02:51What does that mean and what does that tell you?
02:53That was true in the five months preceding October.
02:58So there was no evidence for the trajectory deviating from what we expect based on the gravity of the sun.
03:06We can calculate how an object would move.
03:08So it didn't deviate from that based on 4,000 data points that were obtained by 227 observatories around the globe.
03:17However, in the second half of October, it started deviating as it approached the sun.
03:22And then the question is, what triggered that?
03:25If you're dealing with a spacecraft, closest approach to the sun is the best time to maneuver and take advantage of the gravitational assist from the sun.
03:35So that's what we do with our own spacecraft.
03:37But it could also be just cometary evaporation.
03:40So we're still waiting for the verdict as to which of these possibilities is right based on upcoming data in the coming weeks.
03:47And, you know, science is work in progress.
03:49And despite what you hear from people who claim they know the answer, it really depends on what the evidence shows in the coming weeks.
03:57And you said so in the coming weeks here in December, that's when it's going to be closest to us.
04:02And do we have the technology able to kind of differentiate what this object is?
04:07Definitely.
04:08We will have the Webb Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope.
04:11We have hundreds of observatories on Earth.
04:14And then it will pass close to Jupiter on March 16, 2026.
04:19So there are lots of opportunities for us to observe it.
04:23There is also the highest resolution image that was not released yet by NASA that was taken on October 2nd when this object passed close to Mars.
04:32And I very much look forward to seeing that.
04:35So altogether, you know, it's a blind date of interstellar proportions.
04:39And it's exciting to look at the other side.
04:42My hope is that on December 19th, when it comes closest to Earth, it will not deliver any unwanted gifts for the holidays.
04:51We don't want that.
04:53We have to wrap up.
04:55But I do want to mention that you are getting support here from Representative Anna Paulina Luna.
04:59She is helping get some images released so you can further your research.
05:02Avi, I mean, I wish we could talk to you some more.
05:04I could talk to you for a lot longer than this.
05:05But thank you so much for joining us and just getting this word out there that, you know, you want to continue to study this more and get more scientists involved in the research into what this object is.
05:15We appreciate it.
05:16Thanks for having me.
05:17And anyone that wants more detail should listen to the Rogan podcast with me a week ago.
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