astronomy
Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Surprises Astronomers with Unusual Green Glow and Solar-Pointing Jets
Astronomers are studying interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, a rare green-glowing visitor with solar-pointing jets and a high carbon dioxide ratio, offering new insights into how comets form beyond our Solar System.
A blazing interstellar object streaks across the night sky as a telescope looks on, highlighting the growing mystery surrounding 3I/ATLAS.
Astronomers are keeping a close eye on 3I/ATLAS, the third known interstellar comet to pass through our Solar System — and it’s turning out to be one of the most intriguing cosmic visitors yet. New observations reveal that the comet glows a faint green hue and displays several active jets, including one that oddly points toward the Sun, forming a rare “anti-tail” structure.
According to data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, 3I/ATLAS contains an unusually high ratio of carbon dioxide to water vapor, indicating it may have formed in a much colder and more distant environment than our Solar System. Currently drifting through the constellation Virgo, the comet continues to brighten rapidly as it nears its closest approach to Earth in December 2025, though it will remain safely millions of miles away. Scientists say studying 3I/ATLAS could offer valuable clues about how comets form around other stars — and what materials might exist beyond our solar neighborhood.
(Sources: Live Science, Orbital Today, NASA Science)
Sinking Cities: Why Parts of Phoenix—and Much of Urban America—Are Slowly Dropping
Sinking Cities: Why Parts of Phoenix—and Much of Urban America—Are Slowly Dropping
https://stmdailynews.com/science/
