Technology & Science
Scientists Spot Methanol-Rich Cryovolcanoes on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
New December 2025 observations show 3I/ATLAS blasting dual ice-volcano jets and venting record methanol levels, marking the first time such complex, metal-driven activity has been seen on a visitor from outside the solar system.
Focusing Facts
- ALMA data (Cordiner et al.) measured ~40 kg s⁻¹ of methanol—about 8 % of the coma—plus 0.25–0.5 kg s⁻¹ of HCN near the nucleus.
- Joan Oró Telescope imaging during perihelion captured simultaneous tails and an ‘anti-tail’, attributed to CO₂-triggered cryovolcanic jets described in a Dec 2025 arXiv preprint.
- ESA’s JUICE probe flew within 66 million km on 4 Nov 2025, photographing a 40,000 km-wide coma; full multispectral data will download in Feb 2026.
Context
Astronomers haven’t been this startled by a comet since Halley’s 1910 pass terrified and thrilled Earth with cyanogen gas headlines; yet, unlike Halley, 3I/ATLAS will never return, making each byte of data singular. Its methanol-rich, metal-laced cryovolcanism hints that widely dispersed organic chemistry pre-dates our Sun, echoing 2I/Borisov’s 2019 CO-heavy signature but pushing the envelope toward active geology. Long-term, such interstellar samples test panspermia notions and refine models of planetesimal formation under extreme cold; on a 100-year horizon, they prepare humanity for rapid-response missions to the expected dozens of interstellar wanderers upcoming as survey sensitivity rises, shifting small-body science from parochial solar-system cataloguing to comparative galactic archaeology.
Perspectives
Mainstream science and popular science media
e.g., New Scientist, VICE — Portray 3I/ATLAS as a wholly natural interstellar comet whose unusual methanol-rich chemistry and possible cryovolcanism give rare clues to how organic molecules and comets form in other star systems, explicitly rejecting alien-artifact ideas. To keep readers engaged these outlets stress the comet’s “strangest ever” features and rush eye-catching conclusions from early or non-peer-reviewed studies, potentially overstating certainty while sidelining more speculative alternatives.
Tabloid and speculative outlets amplifying Avi Loeb’s alien-artifact hypothesis
e.g., New York Post, Mashable India, WION — Frame 3I/ATLAS as possible evidence of advanced extraterrestrial technology or panspermia, citing Avi Loeb’s claims that its ‘heartbeat’ and anti-tail could indicate artificial origins and prior cosmic visits. The sensational extraterrestrial angle delivers clicks and publicity and aligns with Loeb’s personal research brand, relying on conjecture more than observational data and casting mainstream astronomers as unimaginative gatekeepers.