National Aeronautics and Space
Administration and the European Space Agency detected methane in the
interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using the James Webb Space Telescope
¨
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration and the European Space Agency detected methane in the
interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using the James Webb Space Telescope.
¨ The observation marks the
first direct detection of methane in an interstellar object.
¨ It also represents the
first mid-infrared chemical fingerprint obtained from an interstellar body.
¨ The James Webb Space
Telescope (JWST) is a space observatory operated by NASA in collaboration with
ESA and the Canadian Space Agency.
¨
Its Mid-Infrared
Instrument (MIRI) records infrared wavelengths that help scientists study cold
dust, gases, and icy objects in space.
¨
MIRI enables detailed
analysis of the chemical composition of celestial bodies.
¨
An interstellar object is
a natural body that originates outside the Solar System and passes through it
on a hyperbolic trajectory.
¨
3I/ATLAS is the third confirmed
interstellar object discovered to date.
¨
It follows 1I/ʻOumuamua
and 2I/Borisov.
¨
Methane (CH₄) is a
hydrocarbon molecule.
¨ In cometary studies, methane, carbon dioxide (CO₂), and water (H₂O) are used to compare the volatile composition of objects formed in different temperature regions of protoplanetary systems.
¨ The discovery of methane in 3I/ATLAS provides valuable insights into the origin, formation environment, and chemical evolution of interstellar objects.
