Dennis Bodewits

Spectroscopic analysis of comet 3I/ATLAS by Webb revealed an anomalously high deuterium content. This chemical marker suggests the comet was born in the bitter cold of a distant star system.

After its close approach to the Sun, comet 3I/ATLAS ejected an abnormally large amount of nickel and iron into its tail. These metals hid deep inside as volatile compounds with carbon monoxide. When heat seeped beneath the surface, the compounds evaporated, freeing the atoms. This mechanism unveils