Astrophysicist claims NASA is ‘hiding’ critical evidence about ‘alien spaceship’ that could change course towards earth

An astrophysicist has claimed that the best photo of an interstellar object he claimed could be an alien craft was 'never released' by NASA despite him asking for it.

3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object we've detected in our solar system, and it has spent the past few months moving through our corner of the galaxy.

At the moment, it's about as close to the Sun as it's going to get, albeit that's about 130 million miles, and in a couple of months' time it's expected to reach the closest point to Earth along its projected path.

That does mean it'll miss us by about 170 million miles if the interstellar object is what it appears to be, a comet-like object which has come from a very long way away.

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has suggested there's a 30 to 40 percent chance that 3I/ATLAS isn't a 'naturally formed' object and claimed it might be a 'potentially hostile' alien craft, a theory which several experts, including Brian Cox, have rubbished.

Comet 3I/ATLAS is currently hurtling through our solar system (NASA)

Loeb said that the 'best image' of the interstellar object was taken on 2 October when it was approaching Mars and said he 'wrote to the principal investigator of HiRISE' asking whether he could get the data around this image.

However, he said he had received 'no response'.

Then again, this is not the best time to be asking NASA anything, as since 1 October, it has been largely shut down due to the US government's failure to continue operating.

With the US government shut down until it can figure out a deal, many agencies which are government-run have been closed down or suspended many of their operations.

NASA is a bit busy at the moment as the US government is shut down (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

In an official statement, the space agency had previously said the interstellar object 'poses no threat to Earth and will remain far away', so there's probably nothing to worry about.

Meanwhile, noted scientist Brian Cox has said 3I/ATLAS is 'a comet' and reckons we should just 'enjoy it for what it is - a visitor from elsewhere in the galaxy'.

He said it was a 'pristine lump of rock and ices' and said the idea that this thing, which has come from another solar system and is passing by our planet, should be 'wonderful enough' to dazzle our sense of wonder.

LADbible have contacted NASA for comment.