‘Ice Volcanoes’ Are Erupting All Over 3I/ATLAS, as Scientists Say the Alien Visitor “May be a Primitive Carbonaceous Object”

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS may be showing signs of active eruptions from “ice volcanoes” on its surface, according to new analysis of the unusual space object.

The discoveries, which build on observations that have revealed the comet’s surprisingly metal-rich interior, add to a growing number of factors that have prompted revised thinking on how comets form, and what future discoveries may await with the ongoing detection of similar interstellar objects in the years ahead.

3I/ATLAS, first discovered in July of this year, has been continuously tracked by astronomers throughout its visit through our solar system. These observations offered scientists a rare glimpse of a truly alien object, whose mysterious origins far beyond the gravitational or radiative influence of our Sun led it to exhibit several behaviors unique among comets.

Of key significance to observations of 3I/ATLAS is that its unusual behaviors offered clues to astronomers about how objects might exist in their natural state under cosmic conditions in which they formed billions of years ago.

The fact that the comet’s behaviors align with our expectations for how such pristine celestial objects would react once subjected to heat from a star like our Sun makes 3I/ATLAS a unique learning opportunity for studying not only interstellar comets, but also the chemistry and physics of distant planetary systems.

A Massive Surge in Ice Activity

Now, according to a new study by researchers Josep M. Trigo-Rodríguez, Maria Gritsevich, and Jürgen Blum, which recently appeared on the arXiv preprint server, photometric observations of the comet have revealed a significant sustained increase in brightness that occurred as the object approached approximately 2.5 astronomical units from the Sun.

This unique behavior was sudden, but it was hardly fleeting—the explosive outburst appeared to be long-lasting, and seemingly points to the activation of water ice as the comet was warmed during its approach toward the Sun.

However, the recent observations reveal more than just sudden evaporation due to ice melt, suggesting something even more fascinating may have been occurring: cryovolcanism.

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