Tag

Interstellar Comet

All articles tagged with #interstellar comet

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

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

space2 months ago•80 min saved

Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Survives Solar Flyby, Revealing Planet-Building Clues

NASA’s Hubble reobserved interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during its close solar approach, allowing scientists to track nickel and iron emissions before and after perihelion with unprecedented precision. The study found the observed outer layers are sun-baked crust rather than pristine material, complicating direct measurements of its original metallicity, but SPHEREx data showing dust, water, and organics in the coma, along with the metal measurements, provide valuable insights into how heavy elements behave in other star systems and what this implies about planet formation.

via Space|

#3iatlas #interstellar-comet #iron

space2 months ago•5 min saved

SPHEREx Logs Fresh Organic Signals From Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS

NASA’s SPHEREx observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS brighten in December 2025, detecting organic molecules such as methanol, cyanide and methane in a increasingly active coma rich in CO2, CO and H2O. Delayed venting—driven by solar heating penetrating deep into the crust—releases pristine ices and rocky material, highlighting the comet’s processed exterior and complex chemistry, and showcasing SPHEREx’s capability to study such rare, far‑flung visitors.

via NASA Science (.gov)|

#3iatlas #coma #interstellar-comet

space2 months ago•73 min saved

TESS probes interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS to reveal its spin

NASA's exoplanet-hunting telescope TESS observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during Jan. 15–22, compiling a 28‑hour sequence to study the comet’s activity and rotation. The object appeared at about magnitude 11.5, and MIT researcher Daniel Muthukrishna stitched the observations into a video showing its trajectory as it leaves the solar system. Although TESS briefly entered safe mode, causing a time jump, the January data are publicly available, and scientists hope to infer how fast the nucleus spins and how dust and gas are shed from the comet.

via Space|

#3iatlas #comet-activity #interstellar-comet

space2 months ago•72 min saved

Farewell to Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS — Free Livestream Captures Its Escape

Space.com reports that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, discovered in 2025, is on an escape trajectory out of the solar system. A free livestream on Jan. 16 (5 p.m. EST) from the Virtual Telescope Project will present real-time views from a 14-inch telescope in Manciano, Italy, marking its final public observation before the comet heads into interstellar space.

via Space|

#3iatlas #interstellar-comet #livestream

science3 months ago•3 min saved

New Images Reveal Comet 3I/ATLAS's Green Glow and Anti-Tail Jet

Harvard scientist Avi Loeb suggests that the CIA's ambiguous response to classified documents about the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS hints at its potential artificial or threatening nature, contrasting with NASA's identification of it as a natural comet, and raises concerns about possible extraterrestrial origins and future interstellar objects.

via New York Post|

#3iatlas #alien-hypothesis #cia

science3 months ago•3 min saved

NASA and Astronomers Observe Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS with Excitement and Confirmations

NASA's Europa Clipper mission observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using its ultraviolet spectrograph, revealing unexpected details about its tails and composition, and providing valuable insights into this intriguing object as it moves away from the Solar System.

via IFLScience|

#3iatlas #europa-clipper #interstellar-comet

science3 months ago•4 min saved

Astronomers Confirm Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Is Not Alien in Origin

Astronomers used the Green Bank Telescope to search interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS for signs of extraterrestrial technology but found no technosignatures, confirming it is a natural comet and not an alien spacecraft. The study highlights the importance of continued searches for interstellar objects that might harbor technological signals in the future.

via Space|

#3iatlas #breakthrough-listen #extraterrestrial-signals

science3 months ago•4 min saved

New Insights and Perspectives on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

Astronomers using the VLT captured detailed spectra of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, detecting atomic nickel and cyanogen gas, revealing its dust-rich composition and unique physical processes, which provide insights into material from other star systems.

via Sci.News|

#3iatlas #cosmic-composition #interstellar-comet

science3 months ago•5 min saved

2026's Must-See Cosmic Events and Eclipses

The year 2026 will feature significant cosmic events including lunar missions, solar and lunar eclipses, multiple planetary alignments, supermoons, and the return of interstellar visitors like comet 3I/Atlas, alongside ongoing lunar exploration by NASA, China, and private companies.

via Los Angeles Times|

#interstellar-comet #moon #science