Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Flare Reveals Molecules From Another Star
TL;DR Summary
NASA’s SPHEREx infrared telescope observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS flare up as it was exiting the solar system in December 2025, revealing a coma rich in water vapor, carbon dioxide and complex organics (including methane, methanol and cyanide) and a pear-shaped dust tail. The observations suggest sunlight penetrated buried ices, triggering a delayed release of materials formed around another star. 3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object, discovered in 2025, with the findings published in February 2026 in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.
- NASA space telescope sees interstellar visitor comet 3I/ATLAS flare up while exiting the solar system Space
- NASA’s SPHEREx Mission Tracks Brightening of Interstellar Comet NASA Science (.gov)
- Are There Ten Trillion Objects Like 3I/ATLAS Within the Solar System Right Now? Avi Loeb – Medium
- 3I/ATLAS breakthrough – ingredients for life and sharp brightening detected at interstellar visitor BBC Sky at Night Magazine
- Chinese probe Tianwen-1 on Mars captures unprecedented images of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS Mix Vale
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