{"id":132615,"date":"2025-09-12T16:43:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T16:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/132615\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T16:43:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T16:43:08","slug":"nasa-is-tracking-a-mysterious-object-from-beyond-it-raises-more-questions-than-answers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/132615\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA is tracking a mysterious object from beyond \u2014 it raises more questions than answers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Astronomers first spotted it in early July 2025. Since then, the interstellar object known as 3I\/Atlas has been raising eyebrows\u2014and questions. And despite a growing body of data, the mystery around it only deepens.<\/p>\n

For weeks now, the world\u2019s most advanced instruments have taken turns observing this strange traveler speeding through our solar system. It\u2019s only the third confirmed interstellar object ever detected in our cosmic backyard.<\/p>\n

The latest tools trained on it? NASA\u2019s SPHEREx telescope (short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer) and, of course, the James Webb Space Telescope<\/a>. Their shared mission: gather data on the object\u2019s size, physical properties, and\u2014perhaps most importantly\u2014its chemical composition.<\/p>\n

As NASA continues to study the interstellar comet 3I\/ATLAS, two space telescopes have made new observations, together providing more information about its size, physical properties, and chemical makeup.@NASAWebb<\/a> observed the object with its Near-Infrared Spectrograph instrument\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/LwNd5C4MJI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) August 25, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

What its coma reveals<\/p>\n

When the comet was about 470 million kilometers (roughly 292 million miles) from the Sun, SPHEREx managed to collect data shedding light on its makeup. According to a note published by the American Astronomical Society, scientists detected large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO\u2082) in the comet\u2019s coma\u2014the hazy cloud of gas and dust that surrounds its core. They also found traces of water ice in the nucleus itself.<\/p>\n

Data from the James Webb Telescope backed this up: 3I\/Atlas appears to have a very high CO\u2082 content, but much less water than expected. In fact, the CO\u2082-to-H\u2082O ratio is one of the highest ever recorded in any comet, which researchers found particularly intriguing.<\/p>\n

El James Webb Space Telescope observ\u00f3 el cometa interestelar 3I\/ATLAS el 6 de agosto con su Near-Infrared Spectrograph instrument: https:\/\/t.co\/B159i2HMc0<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/QDQdlXXnv0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Gaston Giribet (@GastonGiribet) August 26, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n

What about the core?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s more. Astronomers believe that most of the comet\u2019s brightness is likely coming from the coma\u2014not the nucleus. If the light were coming from the core, 3I\/Atlas would need to be nearly 30 miles wide and have a mass one million times that of the last interstellar comet studied, 2I\/Borisov.<\/p>\n

In other words, that would make it a cosmic giant<\/a>. For now, though, the mystery continues\u2014and scientists will be watching closely to see what 3I\/Atlas reveals next.<\/p>\n

\"mayer-nathalie\" <\/p>\n

\t\t\t Nathalie Mayer <\/p>\n

\n Journalist <\/p>\n

Born in Lorraine on a freezing winter night, storytelling has always inspired me, first through my grandmother’s tales and later Stephen King’s imagination. A physicist turned science communicator, I’ve collaborated with institutions like CEA, Total, Engie, and Futura. Today, I focus on unraveling Earth’s complex environmental and energy challenges, blending science with storytelling to illuminate solutions.<\/p>\n

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