Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS scientific study

Astronomers are conducting detailed analyses of the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (also referred to as ATLAS 3), which is the third confirmed interstellar object to enter the solar system.

Initial observations using the William Herschel Telescope and the ALMA radio telescope identified a unique chemical composition. The comet features a plasma tail rich in molecular nitrogen and an exceptionally high concentration of methanol. Researchers estimated the object formed at temperatures below -240°C. The study also recorded a combination of five charged particles—N₂⁺, CO⁺, CO₂⁺, H₂O⁺, and CH⁺—that had not been previously documented in an interstellar object.

Subsequent research published in the ‘Planetary Science Journal’ highlighted atypical physical behavior. Scientists found that the gases released by the comet move at approximately half the velocity typical for solar system comets at similar distances from the Sun. While common molecules like cyanogen and carbon dioxide were detected, standard models for cometary halo expansion were only accurate when gas flow velocity was reduced. Additionally, the comet exhibited exceptionally strong neutral lines of iron and nickel, further distinguishing it from objects within our own solar system.