The scientific genius gave a defiant response to claims that an “alien spaceship” was set to reach our solar system, and the human race had to be ready for alien contact
18:02, 30 Oct 2025
Professor Brian Cox had choice words about online speculation about the mysterious object(Image: Getty Images)
Brian Cox has given his thoughts to warnings made of a potential meeting with aliens. It comes after experts told humanity to “brace itself” for the first ever instance of human contact with alien life forms.
The scientist was responding to conspiracy theories that an interstellar object that was heading into our solar system was going to be an ” alien spaceship”. The mysterious object was first picked up by specialists back in July, with many initially believing it to be an asteroid.
However, since then, the object — known as 3I/ATLAS ― has become the subject of bizarre theories, with the origins of the comet capturing the minds of many who believe in extra-terrestrial life. Now, scientific brainiac Brian has given his response to the claims.
Professor Brian Cox blasted claims that the asteroid would slam into Earth(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
Taking to his social media to rebuff the claims, according to LadBible, Brian fumed: “Just to be clear — given recent drivel online — Comet 3I/Atlas is a comet, made of carbon dioxide and water ices and bits of other stuff. It is entirely natural in origin, its orbit is as expected and it will whizz around the sun and then disappear off into the galaxy again.”
He added that if the comet was to fall into the orbit of another solar system, he hopes the “living things there are more sensible than us and enjoy it for what it is — a visitor from elsewhere in the galaxy”. After branding 3I/ATLAS as a “pristine lump of rock and ice”, that could have been formed billions of years ago, he rhetorically asked, “Isn’t that wonderful enough?”
Brian’s defiant snapback came after scientist Avi Loeb warned that the comet could be harbouring alien life and that humans need to be prepared for it. Estimates from NASA had described the object around the same size as New York and would be only the third interstellar object to fall into our solar system in all of recorded history.
He explained the comet would whizz past us and circle around the Sun before heading away(Image: BBC Studios/Zach Levi-Rodgers)
But despite the wondrous nature of the comet, Loeb warned that it could have been a “potentially hostile” alien craft that could have been slowing down on approach to Earth. The astrophysicist explained that according to his research, there is a 40% chance the comet is not “naturally formed”.
Writing in a paper together with two other scientists, Loeb presented two potential options for the world if the comet does in fact contain aliens. “First, that its intentions are entirely benign and second, they are malign,” he penned.
He even went on to suggest that the final days of Earth could be coming, as he dubbed it a “black swan event”, resulting in the comet striking Earth. But despite his extreme claims, NASA has assured people the prospect of the comet smashing into the planet is completely impossible.
3I/ATLAS is due to reach the Sun today (October 30)
“3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to the Sun around Oct. 30, 2025, at a distance of about 1.4 au (130 million miles, or 210 million kilometres) — just inside the orbit of Mars,” the space agency said. They added that it was only branded an interstellar object due to the shape of its orbital path, and “poses no threat to Earth and will remain far away”, meaning many can breathe a sigh of relief.
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