Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Displays Unexpected Green Hue, Baffling Astronomers
Newly released images reveal that interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is exhibiting a striking green coloration, prompting scientists to investigate teh cause of this unusual phenomenon. the comet, discovered in 2023, is only the third confirmed interstellar visitor to our solar system, making its behavior particularly intriguing to researchers.
The most likely clarification for the green glow centers around the presence of “dicarbon” – a molecule comprised of two bonded carbon atoms – within the comet’s coma, the cloud of gas and dust surrounding it. While typically carbon exists as solitary atoms or in structures like diamonds,dicarbon can form in the frigid conditions of cometary comas. However, spectroscopic observations of 3I/ATLAS have yet to detect dicarbon, leading to alternative theories. experts at Spaceweather.com suggest the dicarbon may be hidden beneath melted layers of ice, or that an entirely different combination of gases and dust is responsible for mimicking the classic cometary color.
Harvard University astronomer Avi Loeb proposes another possibility: cyanide. He noted on his personal blog that cyanide was detected in the comet’s coma in late August by the Very Large Telescope in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Astronomers are now racing to gather more photos and observations to pinpoint the source of the green hue. this examination is particularly time-sensitive, as the comet will soon pass behind the sun from Earth’s perspective, disappearing from view. It is indeed expected to reappear in a few months, reaching its closest approach to Earth in December, at a distance of approximately 700 times the distance to the moon.
The study of 3I/ATLAS offers a rare prospect to analyse material from outside our solar system, providing valuable insights into the composition and formation of planetary systems beyond our own.
