‘We are NOT alone!’ Professor says aliens DID send asteroid

“This makes the object lightweight for its surface area and allows it to act as a light sail.

“Its origin could be either natural (in the interstellar medium or proto-planetary disks) or artificial (as a probe sent for a reconnaissance mission into the inner region of the solar system).”

However, Professor Loeb’s theory was met with widespread criticism, with the astronomer who discovered the asteroid, Robert Weryk, criticised the alien theory, calling it “wild” and “exotic”.

Nonetheless, four months on, Prof Loeb, who is chairman of the Harvard Astronomy Department, is refusing to back down from his claims and is now challenging anyone to prove him wrong.