NASA detects molecules of life on interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during approach
NASA’s SPHEREx space mission identified a significant amount of organic molecules in the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as the object moved away from Sistema Solar. Data collected in December 2025 reveals how solar radiation heated the comet’s icy surface after it passed through perihelion, releasing complex chemical compounds into space.
Spectroscopic analysis has discovered components essential to prebiotic chemistry, offering new insights into the distribution of life molecules in the universe. NASA instruments have captured infrared signatures that show the presence of varying chemicals, allowing scientists to observe the composition preserved billions of years ago.
Compostos chemicals detected on the comet
Infrared data revealed the presence of multiple organic molecules in the comet’s gas plume:
- Metanol and methane were identified in the gaseous emission layers.
- Emissões of cyanide appeared associated with the central gas release structure.
- Vapor of water showed significantly higher concentrations compared to previous measurements.
- Dióxido carbon saturated the regions connected to the gas flow, displacing carbon monoxide.
The intensity of solar radiation, which occurred approximately two months after the comet’s closest approach to Sol, represents the main mechanism for capturing this unprecedented data. The heating of the icy surface, combined with the rocky structure of the core, generated a complex and dense coma. Studies indicate that the chemical composition did not remain uniform in all regions, varying its orientation depending on exposure to sunlight.
Origem and characteristics of the cosmic object
3I/ATLAS was discovered on July 1, 2025 by the Chile-based observing system and quickly classified as the third confirmed interstellar comet, following Oumuamua and comet Borisov. Sua’s hyperbolic orbit unambiguously indicates an origin outside the solar system, marking a rare find in modern astronomy.
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Imagens from the Hubble telescope and other observation tools helped track the trajectory of the object, which passed at a safe distance from Terra without posing any risk. The heated gas plume, responding to solar radiation conditions, exhibited characteristics that allow direct comparisons with comets in the solar system, revealing significant differences in the chemical composition between objects from different regions of Via Láctea.
Implicações for astrobiology
The detection of these organic molecules reinforces the theory that complex life-building compounds were disseminated across different stellar systems through comets and meteorites. Comet 3I/ATLAS provides crucial evidence about chemical processes that occur in extremely cold environments far from our traditional knowledge.
The complete analysis of the interstellar comet offers important data about molecule formation systems that occur under conditions very different from those found in the solar system. Enquanto the object continues its journey back into the depths of space, the SPHEREx mission continues to monitor the data collected to refine models about the origin of life and the dispersal of prebiotic molecules throughout the universe.
