Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS reveals unique chemical composition

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile have identified unique chemical signatures in 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar object to pass through our solar system.

Research reveals that the comet contains an unusually high amount of methanol and is the first interstellar object in which scientists have detected deuterium, a heavy isotope of hydrogen. The concentration of deuterium in the comet's water is more than 40 times higher than in Earth's oceans and over 30 times higher than in comets originating from our own solar system.

These chemical findings suggest that 3I/ATLAS formed in an extremely cold environment, with estimated temperatures in its home planetary system being lower than 30 Kelvin. The high levels of methanol and the specific isotopic ratios provide critical clues about the chemical history and conditions of the distant star system from which the object was likely ejected.