Tag

3iatlas

All articles tagged with #3iatlas

space11 days ago•77 min saved

Ancient interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS could be a 10–12 billion-year relic from the Milky Way

New JWST/NIRSpec analysis of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS finds an unusually low carbon-13 to carbon-12 ratio and significant deuterium enrichment, implying it formed very early in the Milky Way’s history. Modeling suggests 3I/ATLAS may be 10–12 billion years old, potentially originating from a thick-disk star system, making it one of the oldest interstellar visitors and perhaps a relic from a vanished stellar neighborhood. The age estimate is not yet peer‑reviewed and is available via a preprint, with researchers noting ongoing uncertainty but tantalizing clues about ancient planet formation beyond our galaxy.

via Space|

#3iatlas #carbon-12-to-carbon-13 #deuterium

science16 days ago•3 min saved

Deuterium Signals in 3I/ATLAS Spur Fusion Talk, Not Alien Proof

New JWST analyses of the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS reveal unusually high deuterium in its gases, suggesting formation in extremely cold, metal-poor regions billions of years ago. Two Nature Astronomy papers argue the isotope pattern could be a natural relic rather than evidence of alien technology, while Avi Loeb questions the interpretation and notes deuterium as potential fusion fuel. Overall, the findings point to a natural origin and do not prove extraterrestrial engineering.

via Futurism|

#3iatlas #deuterium #fusion-fuel

science21 days ago•5 min saved

NASA Opens Public Archives to Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Data, Accelerating Discovery

NASA has opened public access to observations of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, with data from more than a dozen missions (including TESS, MAVEN, JWST, SPHEREx, and PUNCH) stored in archives such as MAST, IRSA, and the Planetary Data System. By combining cross-mission data, researchers can study 3I/ATLAS’s unique composition and behavior, illustrating how open data accelerates discovery and will help scientists compare interstellar objects in the future.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#3iatlas #data-archives #interstellar-object

space29 days ago•69 min saved

JWST Finds Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS May Be Among the Galaxy’s Oldest Objects

James Webb Space Telescope analysis of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS suggests it formed in a cold region of the Milky Way about 10–12 billion years ago, potentially making it older than Earth and possibly as old as the galaxy or even the universe. Its isotopic composition differs from solar-system comets, implying formation in a different stellar environment. The comet is now exiting the solar system after a close approach to Earth, with further travels past the outer planets as researchers continue to refine its origins.

via Live Science|

#3iatlas #interstellar-comet #isotopes

space29 days ago•5 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Shows Methanol-Rich Chemistry

ALMA observations reveal the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is unusually methanol-rich, with methanol originating from both the nucleus and coma. This chemical fingerprint suggests formation under conditions different from those of Solar System comets and provides a glimpse into the chemistry of distant star systems, with more interstellar visitors anticipated as powerful observatories come online.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#3iatlas #alma #astrochemistry

space1 month ago•3 min saved

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.

via Futurism|

#3iatlas #alma #comet

astronomy1 month ago•54 min saved

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals methanol-rich fingerprint from another star

ALMA observations show the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is unusually rich in methanol, released from both the nucleus and icy grains in the coma. The methanol-to-hydrogen cyanide ratio is higher than in Solar System comets, suggesting 3I/ATLAS formed under colder or chemically different conditions in another planetary system, providing a chemical fingerprint from a different star.

via Space|

#3iatlas #alma #astronomy

space1 month ago•3 min saved

JUICE Captures 120+ Images of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Near the Sun

ESA's JUICE spacecraft captured over 120 JANUS images of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS on 6 November 2025, revealing a bright coma, a long tail and jets as it passed about 66 million km from the Sun; five of JUICE's instruments (JANUS, MAJIS, SWI, PEP, UVS) gathered data to study the comet’s composition and behavior, with teams continuing analysis as data are processed.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|

#3iatlas #astronomy #interstellar-comet

space1 month ago•2 min saved

Juice space camera captures interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in vivid detail

ESA's Juice mission captured the first image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS with its JANUS camera, showing the coma and a long tail seven days after perihelion as Juice sat about 66 million km away. Five instruments (JANUS, MAJIS, SWI, PEP, UVS) collected data to study the comet’s activity and composition, with teams now analyzing the results and planning a late-March synthesis of findings.

via European Space Agency|

#3iatlas #coma-and-tail #interstellar-comet

astronomy1 month ago•58 min saved

Solar Oberth Maneuver Could Put a Spacecraft on Track to Intercept Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

Space.com reports a team proposes using a solar Oberth maneuver near 3.2 solar radii to launch a ~500 kg spacecraft in 2035, aided by a Jupiter gravity assist and heavy boosters, to perform a high-speed flyby of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS by around 2085 at about 732 AU from the Sun. The interceptor would be heat-shielded and not intended to enter orbit, making it a close-proximity encounter rather than a rendezvous. While the concept is theoretically feasible and could push the boundaries of solar-system exploration, researchers note more practical, near-term approaches (like ESA’s Comet Interceptor) could target interstellar objects sooner.

via Space|

#3iatlas #astronomy #interstellar-comet

space1 month ago•71 min saved

2035 Solar Oberth maneuver could intercept interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

Researchers from i4is propose an indirect intercept to interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using a Solar Oberth maneuver, launching in 2035 to align Earth, Jupiter, and the comet. Direct Earth-launch missions are unlikely due to late detection and the comet’s high speed, making a flyby the most viable option. The plan could enable revolutionary science about other star systems, but propulsion readiness and long flight times (around 50 years) present major hurdles and DEP/advanced propulsion remain decades away.

via Live Science|

#3iatlas #astronomy #interstellar

space1 month ago•4 min saved

Solar Oberth Route Could Intercept Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS by 2035

Researchers from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies propose an indirect mission to intercept interstellar object 3I/ATLAS using a Solar Oberth maneuver and their Optimised Interplanetary Trajectory Software (OITS); a 2035 launch could align Earth, Jupiter, and the Sun to enable a high‑speed flyby, since a direct Earth‑launched rendezvous is unlikely due to late detection and the object’s high velocity. Leveraging gravity assists and a Sun-centric burn with current tech, the mission would take about 50 years, offering revolutionary insights into another star system; directed-energy propulsion remains a long‑term possibility.

via Universe Today|

#3iatlas #i4is #interstellar-object

space1 month ago•4 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Emerges Rich in Organics After Solar Pass

NASA’s SPHEREx telescope observed the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS erupting after its Sun encounter, releasing abundant organic compounds such as methanol, cyanide and methane along with relatively large fragments. The data suggest a radiation-processed crust and deeper ice reserves were heated, offering a rare glimpse at material formed around another star.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#3iatlas #interstellar #nasa

space1 month ago•68 min saved

City-Sized Green Comet Eyes Interstellar Exit

Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchoś) is brightening as it nears its closest approach to Earth and is on a hyperbolic trajectory that will likely eject it from the solar system, making it another interstellar visitor like 3I/ATLAS. JWST detected significant CO2 in its coma and initial estimates put the nucleus around 13.7 km, thoughSize estimates vary. It passed perihelion earlier in January and will be about 151 million km from Earth on Feb. 17; the emerald iceball will not be naked-eye visible but can be observed with a telescope. Once sent on its interstellar journey, it will drift through the Milky Way for millions to billions of years.

via Live Science|

#3iatlas #c2024-e1 #comets

space1 month ago•67 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS unveils the building blocks of life

NASA's SPHEREx infrared space telescope observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during its December close approach and detected organic molecules such as methanol, cyanide, and methane, indicating that the materials associated with life can be present in cometary material. The findings, published as a Research Note of the American Astronomical Society, support the idea that comets can deliver bio-relevant compounds, though they do not imply life itself. SPHEREx scans the sky in infrared with 102 color sensors, and captured data as 3I/ATLAS passed by the Sun before heading back into interstellar space.

via Live Science|

#3iatlas #comet #nasa