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(NewsNation) — Sending the Juno spacecraft to analyse a newly-discovered interstellar entity that a prof suggested could beryllium "alien tech" isn't a bully idea, according to Ross Coulthart.
Coulthart, an investigative writer and NewsNation Special Correspondent, joined “NewsNation Prime” connected Sunday to sermon Harvard prof Avi Loeb’s assertion that 3I/ATLAS could beryllium alien tech.
Loeb, a Harvard professor, co-wrote a paper submitted past month suggesting the abstraction object, lone the 3rd specified entity to participate our star system, could beryllium “possibly hostile” and called for it to beryllium investigated to find whether it could beryllium a information hazard to Earth.
Comet could beryllium ‘alien tech,’ should beryllium investigated: Avi Loeb
Loeb wants to nonstop NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which is presently orbiting Jupiter, to intercept the 3I/ATLAS way and survey it arsenic it comes into proximity with Jupiter connected March 16, 2026.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., adjacent called him to speech astir the theory, and she asked NASA to usage Juno to look into it.
“It’s inflammatory and frankly, there’s not a batch of grounds for it," Coulthart said of Loeb's mentation that the entity could beryllium of alien origin.
“I conscionable don’t think, from talking to galore astronomers, that it’s a bully thought to spell diverting existing abstraction trade - for example, Juno successful orbit astir Jupiter - oregon suggesting these are needfully alien probes with hostile intent."
Loeb cited the trajectory and velocity of the entity arsenic reasons wherefore it could beryllium alien tech. However, helium labeled his insubstantial a pedagogical, oregon thought, exercise. He besides wrote connected his blog that the astir apt result "by far" is that 3I/ATLAS "is a wholly earthy interstellar object, astir apt a comet."
Coulthart believes Loeb whitethorn person floated his alien tech mentation to gully much attraction to an country of subject that helium would similar to spot investigated much thoroughly.
“There’s a vexation among a batch of radical successful science, including Professor Loeb, that not capable resources are going to looking for different techno signatures," Coulthart said.
"I deliberation personally determination is simply a batch of merit successful the wide thought of what Professor Loeb is suggesting, which is that we bash request to assets the probe of alleged techno signatures much rigidly," helium said.
As for sending Juno to analyse 3I/ATLAS, Coulthart said it would beryllium excessively large an disbursal and a immense diversion from its primitively assigned task, which is to analyse Jupiter.
