Unveiling the Mystery: 4 Groundbreaking Telescopes Reveal the Bizarre Truth About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is turning heads in the scientific community. Recent observations reveal that it’s not just unique but downright fascinating. Equipped with powerful instruments from NASA and the European Space Agency, like Hubble and JWST, astronomers have discovered some surprising facts about this comet.

3I/ATLAS has been showing signs of activity long before we spotted it. Its coma, the cloud surrounding it, contains a surprising amount of carbon dioxide—more than is typical for comets. Researchers believe this hints at the conditions in which the comet formed or how it has traveled through space.

The comet was first spotted on July 1, 2025. Observers have been keen to gather data before its closest approach to the Sun, known as perihelion, on October 29. Unfortunately, once it gets close, it will be hidden behind the Sun’s brightness, limiting further observations.

Interestingly, data from TESS, another NASA spacecraft, indicated that 3I/ATLAS was already active in May, which is two months before its official detection. At that time, it was about 6 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun—farther out than most comets show signs of activity. Generally, comets start to heat up and become active when they come within 5 AU of the Sun.

Why is this significant? When a comet becomes active, the ice on its surface starts to change from solid to gas. This creates a coma and, if conditions are right, long tails. Researchers suggest that the presence of carbon dioxide could explain 3I/ATLAS’s early awakening. Different ices subliminate (turn from solid to gas) at different rates, and carbon dioxide does so readily.

NASA’s new SPHEREx telescope observed the comet at a distance of 3.3 AU in mid-August. The results confirmed a coma rich in carbon dioxide and water. This set of measurements pointed to a ratio of carbon dioxide to water of 8 to 1—one of the highest seen in any comet.

Researchers propose various theories for this unusual composition. It could mean that 3I/ATLAS has a core rich in carbon dioxide or that it formed in an area of its original solar system where CO₂ was more abundant.

As we look ahead, the trajectory of the comet will send it behind the Sun, limiting observations. However, it will get close to Mars, where Mars orbiters might pick up some data during perihelion. After that, 3I/ATLAS will make its closest approach to Earth as it speeds back into the deeper reaches of space.

This comet is a treasure trove of information, and astronomers are excited about what they might discover next. As technology evolves, who knows what new secrets comets like 3I/ATLAS will reveal about the early solar system?

For a deeper look into these findings, check out the research published on arXiv from Hubble, TESS, SPHEREx, and JWST.

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