"Comet 3I/ATLAS was full-on erupting into space in December 2025, after its close flyby of the Sun, causing it to significantly brighten,"
"Even water ice was quickly sublimating into gas in interplanetary space."
"And since comets consist of about one-third bulk water ice, it was releasing an abundance of new, carbon-rich material that had remained locked in ice deep below the surface,"
"We are now seeing the usual range of early solar system materials, including organic molecules, soot, and rock dust, that are typically emitted by a comet."
Interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, the third such visitor recorded in the solar system, passed several planets and made a close perihelion in October. Near-infrared observations by SPHEREx show that the comet began erupting in December 2025, brightening as water ice rapidly sublimated into gas. The sublimation released deep, previously frozen carbon-rich materials, including organic molecules, soot, and rock dust. Extended exposure to cosmic rays during interstellar travel likely processed the outer crust, insulating pristine ices that warmed and erupted once solar energy penetrated deeply. The comet is receding and will likely not return.
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