Ancient interstellar comet 3I/Atlas reveals alien chemistry
TL;DR Summary
Astronomers using JWST spectroscopy found that interstellar comet 3I/Atlas has a chemical makeup unlike any solar-system object, with high CO2 and low NH3 and distinctive isotope fingerprints (D/H and 12C/13C) indicating formation in a very cold protoplanetary disk around an ancient star roughly 12 billion years ago; as only the third known interstellar object, 3I/Atlas provides a fossil record of planetary systems in the early Milky Way, and upcoming surveys (like NEO Surveyor and the Rubin Observatory) are expected to uncover more such visitors.
- Comet from another star has a composition unlike anything else in our solar system The Conversation
- Dusting Off 3I/ATLAS: Interstellar Travelers Must Clean their Windshields! Avi Loeb – Medium
- Deuterium in Comets Tells Interesting Tales Universe Today
- A Rare Comet Made History as the Third Known Interstellar Object to Fly Through Our Solar System. Studies Are Now Revealing the Mysterious Conditions in Which It Formed Smithsonian Magazine
- Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is nearly as old as the Universe itself – is this the final nail in the coffin for the alien conspiracy? BBC Sky at Night Magazine
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