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Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS: A Billion-Year Journey Revealed by James Webb Telescope

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