B. Fabinsky

The SPHEREx telescope split the light of the interstellar wanderer 3I ATLAS into colors. It revealed that it's actively emitting carbon dioxide, while water ice absorbs some of the rays like tinted glass. All visible glow is a dusty shell, with the solid core inside being hundreds of times smaller.

ISO 3I/ATLAS is the second known interstellar object. As it approached the Sun, it bared its interior: its icy shell evaporated, revealing a mix of water, carbon dioxide, and carbon compounds. These findings help us understand the chemical makeup of other planetary systems.