The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is generating a wave of speculation on TikTok as it approaches its closest point to the Sun on October 30, 2025. Users on the platform are sharing shaky handheld videos, claiming these clips provide evidence of an alien spacecraft in Earth”s atmosphere. Viral hashtags like #3IATLAS and #AlienSpacecraft are fueling these discussions, while actual astronomers emphasize that this celestial body is a natural comet composed of ice and dust.
As 3I/ATLAS neared perihelion, the buzz on TikTok intensified. Many users uploaded grainy videos allegedly showing the comet as a massive alien vessel emitting strange lights. One particularly popular clip, which has garnered millions of views, features claims of “leaked footage” revealing a large spacecraft and the activation of NASA”s planetary defense network. Skeptics have dismissed these visuals, attributing the unusual glimmers to lens flares or aircraft.
Amid this frenzy, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has called for NASA to release high-resolution images of 3I/ATLAS. “The politics of the day should not sabotage science. They have the data. They should share it with scientists,” Loeb stated, emphasizing the need for transparency in scientific observation.
Despite the viral nature of these claims, astronomers have provided a grounded perspective. Initially detected by the ATLAS telescope in Chile on July 1, 2025, 3I/ATLAS displayed a hyperbolic trajectory that confirmed its extrasolar origin, classifying it as the third confirmed interstellar object after 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov. Pre-discovery images indicated a nucleus diameter ranging from 440 meters to 5.6 kilometers, with Hubble capturing its teardrop-shaped dust envelope on July 21.
Insights from the James Webb Space Telescope revealed a gas plume composed primarily of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and water, indicating heating from solar radiation. Observations from ESA”s Mars Express and ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter further examined the comet from a distance of 30 million kilometers on October 3, while upcoming missions aim to capture more data as 3I/ATLAS approaches the Sun.
Loeb has rated 3I/ATLAS a 4 out of 10 on his technological origin scale, pointing out anomalies such as unusual emissions and a finely tuned trajectory. He posits that the comet”s heating could potentially cause it to break apart. However, astronomers maintain that the presence of a coma and a tail made of vaporized ices makes the idea of it being a disguised spacecraft improbable.
This ongoing debate illustrates the tension between scientific evidence and speculative theories. As amateur astronomers take to their backyards with telescopes to debunk the viral claims, the excitement surrounding 3I/ATLAS continues to captivate social media users, blending genuine astronomical interest with the intrigue of potential extraterrestrial life.
