A massive and mysterious object, roughly the size of Manhattan, might not just be an interstellar visitor — according to a newly released study, it could actually be a hostile alien spacecraft planning to attack Earth as soon as November.

Just a few weeks ago, astronomers confirmed the sighting of a rare and fast-moving interstellar object speeding through our Solar System, making it only the third of its kind ever detected.

This object, known as 3I/ATLAS, is the subject of a new draft research paper released on Tuesday. The study raises the possibility that it could be a piece of alien technology, potentially heading our way with hostile intent.

An artist's impression of what the interstellar object in the Solar System could beNASA / SWNS

The scientists behind the paper suggest that the object's unusual orbital path could make it easier for an intelligent alien ship to approach our planet without drawing attention to itself.

According to the paper, the object is expected to reach its closest point to the Sun in late November. During that time, it will be obscured from Earth’s view, which could allow it to perform a high-speed deceleration and remain within the Solar System undetected — possibly in preparation for an attack.

Experts have pointed out that the orbit of 3I/ATLAS is highly unusual. It brings the object close to several planets — including Venus, Mars, and Jupiter — which is something that would be incredibly rare if left to chance, with a likelihood of less than 0.005%.

One of the authors behind this research is Avi Loeb, a respected astrophysicist from Harvard who has built a reputation for exploring bold and sometimes controversial ideas about alien life and interstellar exploration.

Comet 3I/ATLAS streaks across a dense star field in this image captured by the Gemini North telescope's Gemini Multi-Object SpectrographNSF NOIRLab/Int.Gemini Ob et al. / SWNS

Loeb gained international attention in the past when he proposed that the interstellar object spotted in 2017, called ʻOumuamua, could have been an artificial probe made by an alien civilisation, pointing to its strange shape and unexpected acceleration.

His collaborators on this new paper are Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl, both of whom are affiliated with the Initiative for Interstellar Studies based in London.

In the paper, the authors make it clear that the scenario they explore is purely hypothetical. They do not necessarily believe it to be true, but they argue that it’s a topic worth considering and examining.

They write: "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."

However, they warn in the study: "The consequences, should the hypothesis turn out to be correct, could potentially be dire for humanity, and would possibly require defensive measures to be undertaken (though these might prove futile)."

The study goes on to say: "The hypothesis is an interesting exercise in its own right, and is fun to pursue, irrespective of its likely validity."

A mystery object spotted in space could be an alien spacecraft, researchers have claimedK Ly/Deep Random Survey / SWNS

The object, now officially called 3I/ATLAS — though it was earlier identified as A11pl3Z — is thought to have originated from a star system far beyond our own, and it is moving at an astonishing speed of more than 60 kilometers per second.

This unusual object was first observed on July 1 by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope located in Río Hurtado, Chile. Based on early measurements, its size is estimated to be between 10 and 20 kilometers wide, although it could be smaller if its composition includes a large amount of reflective ice.