Scientists trace latest interstellar comet's home to a cold, isolated corner of the Milky Way
Summary
Scientists traced the origin of comet 3I/Atlas, an interstellar visitor possibly 11 billion years old, to a cold, isolated area of the Milky Way predating our solar system.
Key Points
- Comet 3I/Atlas is the third confirmed interstellar object and could be up to 11 billion years old.
- It likely originated from a cold, isolated region of the Milky Way before the formation of our solar system.
- Scientists detected high amounts of deuterium in the comet's water indicating a colder origin than our solar neighborhood.
- Observations using ALMA and space telescopes tracked the comet's passage through the solar system in 2022.
