While scientists are confident it is a comet, its origins have ignited wild theories, including the persistent idea that it could be an alien spacecraft. As it approaches its perihelion—its closest point to the Sun—on 29 October 2025, one question has captured the public's imagination: Will 3I/ATLAS hit Earth? From hard science at NASA to bizarre prophecies from the past, here is what is being said about the cosmic traveller.
