Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS Exhibits Methanol-Rich Comet Chemistry

ALMA observations of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS reveal an unusually high methanol abundance in its coma and core—among the highest seen in comets—paired with a high methanol-to-hydrogen cyanide ratio, indicating distinctive formation conditions in that distant system. The methanol appears to come from both the core and the coma, and future observations with advanced telescopes could help explain the object’s origin as it exits the solar system.