Newly released images from the Virtual Telescope Project reveal that interstellar object 3I/ATLAS shows no comet-like features but moves as if powered by an unknown force, leading Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb and others to suspect it may be an artificial probe — a discovery that has reignited global debate and wonder about alien intelligence.

Just minutes ago, the Virtual Telescope Project stunned the scientific community by releasing a new set of high-resolution images of the interstellar object known as 3I/ATLAS — and what they reveal has already reignited one of astronomy’s most controversial debates: are we alone in the universe, or are we being observed?

Captured from the Bellatrix Observatory in Ceccano, Italy, at precisely 03:14 UTC, the images show 3I/ATLAS gliding silently across the dark backdrop of deep space.

Unlike ordinary comets, this visitor from beyond our solar system appears eerily stable — no gaseous tail, no trace of dust, no flare of reflected sunlight.

The object, roughly 120 meters in length and moving at an estimated speed of 26 kilometers per second, has left even the most seasoned astronomers speechless.

Among them is Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb, who previously made headlines for his theory that the 2017 object ‘Oumuamua might have been an extraterrestrial probe.

Loeb, speaking to reporters early this morning, said the new images of 3I/ATLAS “strengthen the case for an artificial origin.”“We are seeing acceleration without a detectable source,” Loeb explained.

“There’s no outgassing, no solar radiation pressure strong enough to cause this.

It behaves as if it’s being guided — or powered — by something unseen.”

The Virtual Telescope Project, led by Italian astronomer Dr. Gianluca Masi, first detected irregularities in the object’s brightness two weeks ago.

But the latest images show something entirely unexpected — faint linear reflections along the object’s edge, suggesting smooth surfaces or structural panels.

When asked about the possibility of a technical anomaly, Masi replied carefully, “We have ruled out image artifacts.

What we see is real light — reflected or emitted.”

Adding to the intrigue is the object’s trajectory, which appears to line up eerily close to the source region of the famous “WOW! Signal”, a mysterious radio burst detected in 1977 by Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope.

The signal, lasting 72 seconds, has long been speculated to be of extraterrestrial origin — and now, some astronomers are beginning to wonder whether the two events might be connected.

“Statistically, the alignment could be random,” said Dr. Elena Murakami, a researcher at the Japan Space Agency.

“But if it’s not — if this object really is connected to that 1977 transmission — then we are looking at the first tangible evidence of communication across interstellar distances.”

Still, not everyone agrees.

NASA has declined to comment publicly, though a source inside the agency’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office — speaking on condition of anonymity — confirmed that “spectral data from the Deep Space Network is currently under restricted analysis.

” That statement alone has fueled speculation online that more is being studied than officials are willing to admit.

Meanwhile, social media has erupted.

Within hours, hashtags like #3IAtlasProbe and #AlienVisitor began trending across platforms, while amateur astronomers around the world scrambled to capture their own observations.

One observer in Chile posted, “I’ve tracked comets for twenty years.

This one moves like it knows where it’s going.”

Loeb, known for his willingness to challenge mainstream science, summed up the public sentiment best during a late-night livestream:“Every time we dismiss what we don’t understand, we lose an opportunity to learn something profound.

The universe is telling us something — maybe we should listen.”

Whether 3I/ATLAS turns out to be an alien probe, a fragment of ancient interstellar debris, or a new class of cosmic traveler, one fact is clear: it is unlike anything humankind has ever seen before.

As global observatories prepare for another coordinated observation window next week, scientists remain divided — torn between skepticism and awe.

But one question now dominates the conversation:

If this object really is being guided, then by whom — and why did it come here?

Until more data is released, 3I/ATLAS remains an enigma, drifting silently across the heavens — a messenger from beyond, or perhaps a mirror reflecting our deepest cosmic curiosity.