Interstellar Objects
Astronomers have detected high levels of methanol and hydrogen cyanide in the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, marking the first such finding in an object from beyond our solar system. These carbon-rich compounds, essential for prebiotic chemistry, appear in greater quantities than in typical solar system comets. The discovery highlights differences in this third interstellar visitor's composition.
Reported by AI
European Space Agency's Mars orbiters have observed the third known interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, as it passed near the Red Planet. The faint visitor, discovered in July 2025, revealed a glowing coma in images taken from about 30 million kilometers away. Researchers are analyzing the data to uncover its composition and origins.