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What’s Hidden Inside 3I/ATLAS? Astronomers Reveal Another Unexpected Discovery About Our Latest Interstellar Visitor
3I/ATLAS has methanol-to-HCN ratios of 70 and 120, making it one of the most methanol-rich comets observed and suggesting formation in a chemically distinct environment.
- ALMA observations in Chile show interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS's coma is heavily enriched in methanol and contains hydrogen cyanide and other organic species.
- After its July 2025 discovery, researchers monitored 3I/ATLAS and found it to be only the third confirmed interstellar object, as reported on arXiv.
- Roth's team measured methanol-to-HCN ratios of around 70 and 120 in two sessions, showing methanol came from the nucleus and icy grains in the coma that sublimated.
- Today 3I/ATLAS is receding at 60 kilometers per second, and researchers say its icy-grain release and hyperactive behavior confirm a natural, extremely cold origin.
- The chemical signature suggests 3I/ATLAS formed in a colder or more irradiated environment, and these rare measurements motivate future searches and advanced instruments.
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22 Articles
A fragment of another star system flees more than 60 km/s. Some scientists believe that there might still be a way to reach it.
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Is Packed With Alcohol — Indicating That It Formed Beyond Our Solar System
Learn how ALMA observations revealed unusually high levels of methanol in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS and what the molecule’s chemistry may reveal about how icy bodies form around other stars.
·Jupiter, United States
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Total News Sources22
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution40% Left, 40% Center
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left, 40% of the sources are Center
40% Center
L 40%
C 40%
R 20%
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