This Rare Interstellar Visitor Originated From An Exotic Alien System
Astronomers studying the 3I/ATLAS comet have uncovered clues suggesting the interstellar visitor originated in a deep-freeze environment far older than our solar system.
When 3I/ATLAS zipped through the inner solar system, it became only the third confirmed interstellar object ever recorded, joining the enigmatic 1I/ʻOumuamua and 2I/Borisov. But unlike its counterparts, 3I/ATLAS proved to be exceptionally bright and chemically distinct, offering scientists their clearest window yet into how planets and icy bodies assemble around distant stars.
A international team of researchers, co-led by astronomer Dr. Cyrielle Opitom of the University of Edinburgh, turned some of the world’s most powerful observatories toward the passing traveler. Utilizing instruments on the ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), the researchers captured detailed spectra of the gas and dust spewing from the comet’s nucleus as solar heating vaporized its surface.
And what they found were chemical indicators radically different from "standard" solar system comets. Analysis...
Copyright of this story solely belongs to hothardware.com. To see the full text click HERE
