A mysterious space signal that has never been explained may have come from an equally mysterious object racing through our solar system.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, who has continued to theorize that the object known as 3I/ATLAS could be an alien craft, has said the famous ‘WOW! signal’ may have come from this fast-moving visitor.
3I/ATLAS was first detected by astronomers this summer and is now only days away from making a close pass by Mars.
Loeb has noted several irregularities in the supposed comet that suggest it could be something that’s artificially constructed with a mysterious mission that takes it past three planets in the solar system.
Now, Loeb has drawn a connection between 3I/ATLAS and this unexplained space signal received in 1977.
The WOW! signal was captured by the Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope for 72 seconds, in a burst so unusual that it prompted astronomer Jerry Ehman to write ‘WOW!’ on the telescope’s readout.
Loeb’s new analysis has found that on August 12, 1977, just a few days before the WOW! signal was detected, 3I/ATLAS was in a part of the sky very close to where the signal came from.
The chances of two random points in the sky being this close are only about 0.6 percent, which makes this potential connection even more compelling.
3I/ATLAS (pictured) is the third interstellar object discovered by astronomers as it passes through our solar system
The ‘WOW! signal’ was received on Earth back in 1977 and scientists have not been able to explain what produced it
If the signal did come from 3I/ATLAS, Loeb explained that it would have needed a transmitter as powerful as a nuclear power plant on Earth to send it from that distance.
Although astronomers have not found any proof of artificial technology on the surface of the object nearing Earth, Loeb has previously theorized that 3I/ATLAS could be a nuclear-powered vessel.
His claims were based on 3I/ATLAS appearing to generate its own light in a photo by the Hubble Telescope in August.
‘3I/ATLAS could be a spacecraft powered by nuclear energy, and the dust emitted from its frontal surface might be from dirt that accumulated on its surface during its interstellar travel,’ Loeb wrote in a statement.
Since then, scientists have widely dismissed the alien spacecraft theory, concluding that the interstellar object is a strange comet that’s composed of a completely different chemical makeup than most comets created in our solar system.
So far, no one has checked if 3I/ATLAS has been sending out radio signals, but Loeb hopes this coincidence will encourage scientists to take a closer look.
This year, Earth spacecraft near Mars and Jupiter will get a chance to observe 3I/ATLAS as it passes by, which could give us more clues.
NASA has just unveiled a new tracking system for 3I/ATLAS, which allows anyone to zoom in and look at the object up close. According to NASA’s simulation, it’s a giant space rock with a white tail that will make it’s closest pass by Mars on October 3.
3I/ATLAS will make a close pass by Mars on October 3 and NASA has just unveiled a new tracking tool for the public
As for the WOW! signal, it exhibited several intriguing characteristics, including a narrow bandwidth, high signal strength, and a frequency close to the natural radio emissions produced by neutral hydrogen – an element abundant in the universe.
These properties have led many to speculate the signal could have come from an alien origin, possibly sent by an extraterrestrial intelligence.
Looking at its possible connection to 3I/ATLAS, the signal showed a slight shift in frequency, which could match the speed of the comet moving toward the sun, though it’s not a perfect match.
‘In case we detect an artificial signal from an interstellar object, how should we engage with it?’ Loeb asked in his latest paper on the interstellar object.
However, the Harvard professor said the answer is more complicated than some might think, warning that an alien intelligence could pose a threat to the human race.
‘We must consider the possibility of a black swan event from interstellar objects resembling a comet at large distances, but potentially carrying devastating consequences to our future like a Trojan Horse,’ Loeb warned.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .