The approach of the interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS has rekindled interest in the predictions made by the late Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga regarding potential contact with extraterrestrial beings in 2025. Discovered on July 1, 2025, by the ATLAS telescope in Chile, this comet travels through the solar system at an astonishing speed of approximately 130,000 miles per hour. While some physicists and researchers entertain the idea that the object could be an alien spacecraft, the prevailing scientific consensus overwhelmingly supports the notion that it is a natural comet.
Baba Vanga, a clairvoyant who passed away more than 25 years ago, reportedly foresaw a future where humanity would establish contact with alien life, a scenario that could lead to dire consequences for Earth. Her prophetic reputation was bolstered by several predictions that later came to fruition, including the Chernobyl disaster and the September 11 attacks. Vanga”s forecasts for 2025 have been interpreted to encompass various catastrophic events alongside encounters with extraterrestrial beings.
According to NASA, the ATLAS survey telescope reported initial observations of 3I/ATLAS to the Minor Planet Center, marking it as the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system, following the discoveries of “Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. The closest approach of 3I/ATLAS to the Sun is anticipated around October 30, 2025, at a distance of approximately 1.4 astronomical units, or about 130 million miles, which is just inside the orbit of Mars. It is important to note that the comet will not come closer than about 1.8 astronomical units to Earth, translating to roughly 170 million miles.
Astronomers have determined that 3I/ATLAS is active, possessing an icy nucleus and a coma—a bright cloud of gas and dust that surrounds a comet as it nears the Sun. This classification reinforces its categorization as a comet rather than an asteroid. Initial estimates indicated that the object measures around 15 miles in diameter, although recent observations from the Hubble Space Telescope revealed a nucleus diameter between 1,444 feet and 3.5 miles.
The trajectory of 3I/ATLAS is hyperbolic, showcasing an orbital eccentricity of 6.137, which is the highest recorded among the known interstellar objects to date. This significant eccentricity results in a trajectory that appears relatively straight, contrasting with other known objects.
In a preprint paper, Avi Loeb, a physicist from Harvard University, posited that 3I/ATLAS might represent alien technology based on several anomalies he identified. He noted that the alignment of the object”s orbital plane is statistically questionable, suggesting a rare chance of one in 500 for it to occur randomly. Loeb also speculated that the object”s perihelion, occurring behind the Sun, could provide an opportunity for an advanced spacecraft to utilize the Sun”s gravity for maneuvers without detection from Earth.
Nonetheless, the scientific community, including NASA and various astronomers, has largely dismissed claims of alien technology associated with 3I/ATLAS. Tom Statler, NASA”s lead scientist for Solar System small bodies, stated unequivocally that it behaves like a comet and exhibits characteristics consistent with known comets. Professor Chris Lintott from the University of Oxford reinforced this view, labeling the alien spacecraft theory as nonsensical.
Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope revealed that 3I/ATLAS possesses an unusual chemical composition, characterized by a high carbon dioxide to water ice ratio. This finding further solidifies its identity as a comet. The object has shown typical cometary activity, including the development of a tail as it approaches perihelion.
As 3I/ATLAS reached solar conjunction on October 21, 2025, it will be obscured from Earth-based observations during its closest approach. However, it is expected to become visible again in November 2025 as it moves away from the Sun. The broader scientific consensus remains that 3I/ATLAS is a natural interstellar comet, with ongoing studies aimed at understanding its composition and implications for planetary formation in distant star systems.
