Interstellar comet may be oldest object seen in our solar system, scientists say
14 hours ago
- #Interstellar Comet
- #Astrochemistry
- #Galactic Formation
- Interstellar comet 3I/Atlas could be up to 12 billion years old, older than our solar system's 4.5 billion years.
- The comet has a unique chemical composition, with 10 times more deuterium than solar system comets, suggesting formation in an extremely cold environment around -243°C.
- Observations from telescopes like James Webb and Alma indicate it lacks chemical enrichment, possibly forming near stars during 'cosmic noon' about 10 billion years ago.
- Unlike previous interstellar objects, 3I/Atlas was bright enough for isotopic analysis, but NASA dismissed speculation of it being an alien spacecraft.
- Astronomers expect to discover more interstellar objects with new observatories, marking the start of a new field in studying our galaxy.