Trending Now - Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Originates From a Frigid Region
WHO:
ABC News - A team led by the University of Michigan conducted the study on Comet 3I/ATLAS.
AP News - Teresa Paneque-Carreno from the University of Michigan provided insights on the comet's origin.
WHAT:
Phys.org - Comet 3I/ATLAS contains 30 times more semi-heavy water than comets in our solar system, indicating its system of origin likely formed under conditions far colder than our own.
ABC News - Comet 3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed interstellar visitor and possibly the oldest, estimated to be up to 11 billion years old.
AP News - The comet was discovered in the summer of 2025 and made its closest approach to Earth in December 2025.
AP News - The size of the comet's nucleus is estimated to be between a quarter-mile and 3.5 miles (440 meters and 5.6 kilometers).
AP News - The comet is traveling at a speed of 137,000 mph (220,000 kph).
WHERE:
ABC News - The comet likely originated from a cold, isolated corner of the Milky Way galaxy.
AP News - The ALMA observatory in Chile’s Atacama Desert was used to examine the comet.
WHEN:
ABC News - The study was published on April 21st, 2026.
ABC News - The comet zoomed past Mars in October 2025 and made its closest approach to Earth in December 2025.
WHY:
Phys.org - The first measurement of the abundance of deuterated water relative to ordinary water in an interstellar object was conducted on Comet 3I/ATLAS.
ABC News - The high amounts of deuterium in the comet's water suggest it originated in a colder environment than our solar system, possibly before the formation of our sun.
HOW:
ABC News - The study utilized observations from the ALMA observatory to analyze the comet's composition and origin.
(UPDATED April 23, 2026 19:21 UTC)
A recent study has revealed that Comet 3I/ATLAS contains thirty times more semi-heavy water than comets found in our solar system, suggesting it originated in a much colder environment. This finding marks the first measurement of deuterated water compared to ordinary water in an interstellar object. Scientists conducted this groundbreaking analysis to better understand the conditions under which the comet formed.
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(UPDATED April 23, 2026 17:26 UTC)
A team led by the University of Michigan has revealed new insights about Comet 3I/ATLAS, which is the third confirmed interstellar visitor and possibly the oldest, estimated to be up to 11 billion years old. The study, published on Tuesday, indicates that the comet likely originated from a cold, isolated corner of the Milky Way galaxy, with its water showing high amounts of deuterium, suggesting it formed in a colder environment than our solar system. Observations from the ALMA observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert were crucial in analyzing the comet's composition, which is traveling at an impressive speed of 137,000 miles per hour.