Astronomers say Comet 3I/Atlas is an interstellar visitor likely among the oldest ever confirmed, possibly dating back about 11 billion years. Traced to a cold, isolated part of the Milky Way that hadn’t yet formed a solar system, it arrived harmlessly after being discovered last summer. Multiple telescopes tracked it as it passed Mars and approached Earth in late 2024.
Scientists analyzing a newly spotted interstellar comet say its chemistry carries unusually high heavy hydrogen, pointing to an origin in a frigid, isolated corner of the Milky Way. The likely birthplace was far from other stars and may have existed before the Sun formed, offering fresh clues about conditions that shaped early planet formation.
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