Discover How 3I/ATLAS Shapes Our Environment: The Impact of CO2 Emissions

The SPHEREx space observatory from NASA just revealed exciting new findings about the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. The data collection occurred between August 8 and August 12, 2025, while the object was about 3.2 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. This gave scientists a rare look at what lies beyond our solar system.

The recent observations showed a significant carbon dioxide cloud surrounding 3I/ATLAS, with a mass loss rate of around 70 kilograms per second. However, there was no sign of water vapor, contradicting earlier claims that suggested a rate of about 40 kilograms per second. The lack of water is particularly puzzling, as 3I/ATLAS was not too far from the solar system’s “water ice line.”

Interestingly, while water vapor wasn’t found, some surface absorption features hinted at a mix of water ice and carbon dioxide, along with organic compounds. These are typically found in Kuiper belt objects exposed to cosmic rays. This brings into question the initial idea that 3I/ATLAS is a water-rich comet.

Images from SPHEREx portrayed 3I/ATLAS as a point source, with no visible dust coma. This suggests that the object might not have a lot of surrounding debris, indicating that it is relatively solid. The team observed CO2 around 3I/ATLAS at specific wavelengths, revealing a symmetric cloud that sparsely diminishes outwards up to 348,000 kilometers.

Moreover, the sunlight reflected from 3I/ATLAS suggests it has a large nucleus, potentially around 46 kilometers in diameter. This raises questions, as it would mean 3I/ATLAS is significantly more massive than the previous interstellar visitor, 2I/Borisov. To date, we’ve assumed there should be many objects of Borisov’s size before encountering something as large as 3I/ATLAS.

Another theory suggests that 3I/ATLAS may have entered our solar system intentionally or through some cosmic design, given how its trajectory aligns with the planets around the Sun. This would be a surprising development, as the odds of such an alignment occurring randomly are quite low.

Interestingly, the Hubble Space Telescope’s images indicated very little dust surrounding 3I/ATLAS, leading scientists to believe that its size is dominating the reflected sunlight instead of any potential dust cloud.

The observed CO2 mass loss corresponds to the surface ablation of a thin layer, hinting that this outer layer is responsible for the gas cloud around it. However, the true nature of the object remains a mystery, with scientists eager for more data from the Webb Space Telescope, which also observed 3I/ATLAS in early August 2025.

As we continue to study 3I/ATLAS and await further reports, its true characteristics and origins may eventually come to light, especially as it moves closer to the Sun and heats up.

For more in-depth information, check out the findings in this NASA SPHEREx report.

Source link