'Potentially hostile' alien threat could attack Earth in the coming months, according to scientists

A group of scientists have said that a 'potentially hostile' threat could be heading for Earth in the next few months.

The object was discovered earlier this month, and a small team of researchers believe it has the potential to be a piece of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Conducted by Avi Loeb, Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl, the researchers believe that if it did turn out to be some sort of spyware, it could have catastrophic consequences.

Named 3I/ATLAS, the entity is set to approach Jupiter, Mars and Venus before disappearing behind the sun in October.

“This could be intentional to avoid detailed observations from Earth-based telescopes when the object is brightest or when gadgets are sent to Earth from that hidden vantage point," said Loeb.

In the paper, the researcher went on to explain that if an attack did follow, it may 'possibly require defensive measures to be undertaken.'

A team of researchers believe the object could be alien spyware (Getty Stock Photo)

Due to the object's size and trajectory, Loeb believes that it could be some sort of alien life.

"The retrograde orbital plane of 3I/ATLAS around the Sun lies within 5 degrees of that of Earth... The likelihood for that coincidence out of all random orientations is 0.2 percent," he told Newsweek.

"It might have targeted the inner Solar System as expected from alien technology."

Loeb said if it was an alien probe, defensive measures may need to be taken (Anibal Martel/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Before we all completely panic, it's important to point out that Loeb has acknowledged that the most likely outcome is that the entity is simply a comet.

“By far, the most likely outcome will be that 3I/ATLAS is a completely natural interstellar object, probably a comet," he added.

“This paper is contingent on a remarkable but, as we shall show, testable hypothesis, to which the authors do not necessarily ascribe, yet is certainly worthy of an analysis and a report.

“The hypothesis is an interesting exercise in its own right, and is fun to pursue, irrespective of its likely validity.”

Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina, agrees, adding: “All evidence points to this being an ordinary comet that was ejected from another solar system, just as countless billions of comets have been ejected from our own solar system.”

The most likely outcome is that the object is a comet (Getty Stock Photo)

Loeb has also explored a similar theory before, theorising that a separate entity could be alien tech, back in 2022.

He wrote that the object, known as Oumuamua, could be something called a 'lightsail' due to its shape and ability to move through space.

Lightsails use light particles to propel them through space, however, in a report, Loeb claimed there could be another theory.

"Alternatively, a more exotic scenario is that 'Oumuamua may be a fully operational probe sent intentionally to Earth vicinity by an alien civilization,'" he wrote at the time.