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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: A Billion-Year Journey Revealed by James Webb Telescope
Table of Contents
KOMPAS.com – Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS,a newcomer from outside the Solar System,now reveals the secrets of its billion-year journey.
Recent observations using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) show that the comet has a thick, cosmically irradiated crust, making its composition no longer reflective of material from its native star system.
This research suggests that 3I/ATLAS has absorbed so many galactic cosmic rays during its interstellar journey across the Milky Way that it has developed a deep irradiated crust.
This crust is what covers the original material.
Extreme Carbon Dioxide Due to Cosmic Rays
Using JWST data and computer simulations, the researchers concluded that the comet’s high levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) came from space radiation absorbed during its estimated 7 billion year lifespan.
Quoted Live Science, Galactic cosmic rays-a type of space radiation consisting of high-energy particles from outside the Solar System-hit carbon monoxide (CO) in space, turning it into carbon dioxide (CO2).
Within our Solar System, the heliosphere (a bubble of radiation emitted by the Sun) protects Earth and its neighbors from most of this cosmic radiation.
However, in interstellar space, where 3I/ATLAS has spent most of its life, no such protection exists.
Romain Maggiolo,lead author of the study and research scientist at the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy,explained the long-term impact.
“It was vrey slow, but over billions of years, it was a very powerful effect,” Maggiolo said.
Semantic Branching: Understanding the Implications
1. What Happened? (The Event)
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observed interstellar comet 3
