In October 2023, scientists spotted a strange object they called 3I/ATLAS that entered our solar system, coming from the depths of interstellar space.

This alien visitor caused great confusion because of its arc-like path and its possession of what looks like a tail pointing toward the sun instead of away from it, which led some to speculate that it might be a spacecraft the size of Manhattan sent to explore humanity.

But the prominent astrophysicist, Professor Avi Loeb from Harvard University, provided a scientific analysis that puts things in perspective.

According to his mathematical calculations, this object that was spotted by chance is not as unique as it seems, but rather one of trillions of similar objects that roam our solar system at any time.

Loeb bases his estimates on simple logic: If this comet was discovered at a distance equivalent to five times the distance between the Earth and the Sun, only five years after the start of comprehensive astronomical surveys, this means that the space around us is teeming with such invisible objects. His estimates indicate that the number of similar objects in our solar system alone may reach a trillion, and that the Earth has hosted at least a billion similar objects throughout its history of 4.5 billion years.

When we look at the bigger picture, startling numbers emerge: Our galaxy, the Milky Way, may contain 100 sextillion such objects (that is, one followed by 23 zeros). As for the entire observable universe, the number may reach a number that exceeds the capacity of human imagination.

The simple scientific explanation is that these objects are remnants of the formation of stellar systems, resembling grains of sand scattered on a vast cosmic beach.

It is noteworthy that the journey of 3I/ATLAS, which took 8 thousand years to reach our region, is not an exceptional journey, but rather part of a permanent movement of dust and matter between the stars.

Thus, while scientific debate continues over the nature of this particular visitor, it reveals to us a larger universal truth: Our solar system is not isolated, but rather a stop on a superhighway constantly crossed by trillions of objects coming from every direction in the galaxy.

Source: Daily Star