Analysis of the tail of 3I/Atlas reveals that it contains an anomalous proportion of methanol, a class of alcohol used in fuels.
Observations from the ALMA telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert show that the coma of this celestial object is heavily enriched in methanol, a type of alcohol common in fuels and solvents. Although methanol is commonly found in comets in the solar system, 3I/Atlas contained up to four times the typical amount.
According to the study, available at arXiv, 3I/Atlas is the second most methanol-rich comet ever measured, behind only the unusual C/2016 R2, discovered 10 years ago. Parallel investigations have also detected high abundances of other organic compounds, such as carbon dioxide, iron, and nitrogen, reinforcing the idea that this object has an out-of-the-ordinary composition. The combination of excess methanol, a carbon dioxide-dominated coma, and other atypical chemical ratios supports the hypothesis that 3I/Atlas formed in an environment that is colder, more irradiated, or chemically distinct from any region where comets in the solar system formed. The paper also suggests that 3I/Atlas may belong to the category of hyperactive comets, bodies that produce more water vapor than their surface can justify. In these comets, some of the gas comes not from the nucleus but from ice grains that float in the coma and sublimate. The researchers propose that 3I/Atlas released methanol, water, and carbon dioxide from both the nucleus and these icy grains. In this case, a significant fraction of methanol came from detached ices that sublimated during the comet's approach to the sun. This behavior fits with that of hyperactive comets and reinforces the idea that 3I/Atlas is a natural, extremely cold, and chemically complex object, further ruling out any speculation about an artificial origin. Today, the comet is moving away from the solar system at 60 kilometers per second. It is only the third confirmed interstellar object in history, but astronomers expect that future searches with new, more advanced instruments will reveal many more.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Immerse yourself in Vegas: High-tech attractions take a trip to the next levelExperience the Interstellar Arc and other attractions at Area 15, Las Vegas foodie tours, “Wizard of Oz'” at Sphere and more in Las Vegas.
Read more »
3I/ATLAS comet is bursting with alcohol, surprising astronomersAndrew Paul is Popular Science's staff writer focused primarily on tech, AI, physics, and culture news. He was previously a regular contributor to The A.V. Club and Input, and has been featured by Rolling Stone, Fangoria, GQ, Slate, NBC, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and elsewhere. He lives outside Indianapolis.
Read more »
Amazon wins court order blocking Perplexity AI shopping botsPerplexity AI Inc. must for now stop using its Comet web browser agent to make purchases on behalf of shoppers from Amazon.com Inc.’s online marketplace, a court ruled this week.
Read more »
Why Are Interstellar Comets So Weird? Part 1: The Strangers Blowing Through TownImagine you live in a small town. Maybe it’s easy for you to imagine because you actually do. You’ve spent your whole life there. You know all the people, and all the people know you. Years go by. Decades. The same faces at the same corner store, the same routes to the same places, the same sky overhead. It’s comfortable. Predictable.
Read more »
'Easter comet' could be visible in daytime skies this April — if it survives a fiery dive past the sunJoe Rao is Space.com's skywatching columnist, as well as a veteran meteorologist and eclipse chaser who also serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky & Telescope and other publications.
Read more »
Amazon wins a temporary injunction against Perplexity's Comet browserFind the latest technology news and expert tech product reviews. Learn about the latest gadgets and consumer tech products for entertainment, gaming, lifestyle and more.
Read more »