Kathrine Frich
Humanity has long been captivated by the mysteries beyond our planet, from ancient star charts to modern probes scanning the edges of the solar system.
Each new object that drifts into our cosmic neighbourhood brings another opportunity for wonder, debate and sometimes confusion.
The arrival of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS has once again stirred that mix of curiosity and imagination.
Since its discovery in July, astronomers and commentators have examined every shift in its brightness, movement and behaviour.
The object has attracted both rigorous scientific study and broader public speculation.
Strange behaviour noted
NASA has stated that 3I/ATLAS poses no danger to Earth and will remain at a great distance. Still, its unusual characteristics have prompted ongoing discussion.
LADbible reported that Harvard physicist Avi Loeb has argued that some of its qualities cannot yet be fully explained, adding that there is “a 30 to 40 percent chance” the object is not naturally formed, a claim that remains outside mainstream scientific consensus.
Researchers have noted that 3I/ATLAS has developed both a tail and an anti-tail, along with changes in colour, speed and trajectory.
Observers also detected a radio signal, while other astronomers described a dimming and brightening pattern that resembled a pulse.
Loeb told LADbible he believed the object may have jets releasing material at roughly 16.16 hour intervals, though this interpretation has not been confirmed by other experts.
New chemical findings
NASA astrochemist Dr Martin Cordiner and his team at the Goddard Space Flight Center recently conducted a detailed scan of the object using the Atacama Large Millimeter Submillimeter Array, known as ALMA.
They focused on the material emitted from the surface as the object travels through space.
According to Cordiner, the team identified unusually high levels of hydrogen cyanide and methanol.
He explained to New Scientist that “molecules like hydrogen cyanide and methanol are at trace abundances and not the dominant constituents of our own comets,” adding that “in this alien comet they’re very abundant.”
Cordiner said the object appears to be releasing roughly a quarter to half a kilogram of hydrogen cyanide per second, and about 40 kilograms of methanol per second, which is far more than typical levels observed in comets within our solar system.
Cordiner noted that these compounds are considered important in the chemistry associated with the origins of life.
He suggested that the high output might be linked to additional reactions occurring within the object, saying “it seems really chemically implausible that you could go on a path to very high chemical complexity without producing methanol.”
Sources: LADbible, NASA, New Scientist
