Vladimir Putin has made a wild claim about 3I/ATLAS that has left people unsure on what to think.
The Russian President has never been shy in making headlines for outrageous claims or quotes, but this one may top the lot.
3I/ATLAS, a terrestrial object which has been hurtling through our solar system over the course of the year, has long been observed by astrophysicists and experts alike.
While it disappeared behind the Sun for a chunk of October and November, it reappeared this month and made its closest approach to Earth last week.
Advert
On 19 December, at around 6am (UK time), the object flew through space at around 153,000mph, around 210 million km from our blue planet.
Controversial Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has long hinted at the posssibility of 3I/ATLAS containing alien life, telling Sky News previously: "Alien technology is a potential threat because when you go on a blind date of interstellar proportions, you never know whether you have a friendly visitor as your dating partner or a serial killer."
While a spacecraft which was originally designed to search for extraterrestrial life has been tracking the object, NASA have long pointed towards their 'overwhelming evidence' which points towards the rock being nothing more than a comet.
That doesn't mean it's not noteworthy though, as it became the third confirmed object from outside our solar system to enter it, following 'Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019.
Having come from the direction of Sagittarius near the Milky Way's centre, it could be out of our solar system completely by early 2026.
But on 19 December itself, Putin held his annual press conference with TASS reporting live from Moscow's WorldTrade Centre, as over 1,300 journalists attended.
When asked by a journalist about whether 3I/ATLAS was a spacecraft, the 73-year-old grinned and replied: "I will let you in on something, but it must stay between us because it's classified information. This is our secret weapon, but we will only use it as a last resort," as those in the room let out a chuckle.
The joke was then followed up with a scientifically-backed answer, as Putin said that the path was safe with the terrestrial object being too far away to worry about, adding: "It's a comet, and it doesn't pose a threat to Earth."
He then moved on to something more serious, speaking about the nation's space policy as tension continues to rise across the continent.
Loeb has recently questioned the dust-to-gas ratios around the object, claiming: "The additional anomalies of 3I/ATLAS raise other questions about its nature, to which we do not have answers yet."
Still unwilling to concede, the astrophysicist added: "Being honest about what we do not know would motivate us to seek answers. Those who are not curious about the unknown and fill their mind with pride about what they know end up being dull."
Lead NASA scientist Tom Statler has long held belief that all evidence points towards 3I/ATLAS being a comet and nothing else.
He stated: "It looks like a comet. It does comet things. It very, very strongly resembles, in just about every way, the comets that we know."
While he pointed out that it has 'some interesting properties' which differ to our solar system's comets, he said the evidence 'overwhelmingly' suggests it's a natural body.
Topics: Vladimir Putin, Space, Russia, Aliens, Science
Joshua Nair