The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is making news because it is actively releasing water at a distance from the Sun where water ice on a typical comet’s surface is not expected to sublimate (turn directly into gas).  

Here’s what makes the water leakage from 3I/ATLAS unlike anything previously expected for an object this far out:

• Distant Activity: NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory detected hydroxyl (OH) gas—a chemical byproduct of water vapor—when 3I/ATLAS was nearly three times farther from the Sun than Earth (around 2.9 astronomical units). At such a distance, the weak sunlight should not be sufficient to vaporize surface water ice on most comets.  

• High Water Production Rate: The comet has been estimated to be shedding water at an astonishing rate of about 40 kilograms (88 pounds) per second, which has been described as being “like a fire hose running at full blast.”  

• Unique Outgassing Mechanism: Scientists suggest that the water is being released through a rare two-step process:  

1. The comet is ejecting microscopic ice grains from its nucleus into space.  

2. Once in space, these small grains gradually warm up, and even the weak sunlight is enough to cause them to sublimate (turn to vapor), creating the water vapor cloud. This mechanism explains the strong water signal observed from so far away.  

This activity is significant because it provides a rare glimpse into the composition and behavior of volatile materials from another star system, suggesting that the ingredients for life’s chemistry may be common across the galaxy.  

In a rare cosmic discovery, scientists have detected an interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, releasing water vapour while still far from the Sun, a phenomenon that has left astronomers astonished. Using NASA’s , researchers identified ultraviolet signatures of hydroxyl (OH), a byproduct of water molecules broken apart by sunlight. What makes this extraordinary is that 3I/ATLAS was nearly three times farther from the than Earth when it began spewing water, a region typically too cold for ice to sublimate. NASA researchers say this level of activity is unlike anything ever recorded from an interstellar object.

3I/ATLAS: An interstellar visitor with a watery secret

3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object to pass through our solar system, following ‘Oumuamua in 2017 and comet Borisov in 2019. Unlike those predecessors, ATLAS has shown intense water activity, with scientists estimating it was emitting around 40 kilograms of water every second, roughly 1.36 × 10²⁷ molecules per second. Astonishingly, at least 8% of its surface appears to be active, compared to the 3–5% seen in typical comets. This suggests the presence of easily accessible ice or dust grains being ejected and vapourizing in sunlight.

At the comet’s observed distance, temperatures are far too low for solid ice to vapourize directly. Scientists believe that 3I/ATLAS releases microscopic ice grains that are thrown into space, where they gradually warm and sublimate, producing the water vapour detected. This mechanism, essentially a two-step outgassing process, is extremely rare and provides insight into how volatile materials behave in the cold outer reaches of a star system. Such distant water release challenges long-held assumptions about the physics and chemistry of comets.

What does water in atlas/31 means in space exploration and science

The water detected in interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is of major scientific importance because it provides a rare opportunity to study the building blocks of another star system and compare it directly to our own.

Here’s what the water in 3I/ATLAS means in science:

1. Clues to Planet Formation in Distant Star Systems 🌌

• A “Note from Another Planetary System”: Comets are essentially frozen relics that preserve the chemical composition of the disk of gas and dust from which their star system and planets formed. By measuring the amount of water and other volatile compounds (like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide) in 3I/ATLAS, scientists are essentially reading a “chemical fingerprint” of the materials that made up its parent star system.

• Comparison to Solar System: Water is the universal “yardstick” for measuring comet activity. Detecting it in 3I/ATLAS allows astronomers to place it on the same scale as comets native to our Solar System. The chemical ratios can reveal whether the ingredients for planets and life are consistent across the galaxy or whether its parent system formed under significantly different conditions.

2. Understanding the Distribution of Life’s Ingredients 💧

• Cosmic Delivery Vehicle: Water is an essential ingredient for life as we know it. The discovery confirms that interstellar objects can preserve large amounts of water ice while traveling through space for millions or billions of years.

• Panspermia and Water Seeding: This strengthens the theory that comets, like 3I/ATLAS, could act as “delivery vehicles,” transporting water and organic molecules between star systems, potentially “seeding” newly forming exoplanets with the necessary chemical building blocks for life.

3. Challenging Assumptions about Comet Activity 🤯

• Activity at a Great Distance: The high rate of water release (about 40 kg per second) was observed when the comet was nearly three times farther from the Sun than Earth—a distance where most Solar System comets are inactive.

• Unusual Mechanism: This unexpected distant activity suggests an unusual outgassing mechanism. Scientists propose that microscopic icy grains are being expelled from the nucleus, and these small grains are then easily sublimated by the weak sunlight, releasing water vapor. This challenges long-held assumptions about how volatile materials behave in the cold, distant regions of space.

In short, 3I/ATLAS is a crucial sample from beyond our cosmic neighborhood that is rewriting what scientists know about the commonality of water—and thus, potentially, the commonality of the ingredients for life—throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.

Please like subscribe comment your precious comments on universe discoveries

Full article source google

https://www.amazon.in/b?_encoding=UTF8&tag=555101-21&link