3I/ATLAS did something strange that could reveal clues about alien life

Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS carried a distinct signature that reveals the likelihood of life being present on other star systems. Astronomers at Auburn University in Alabama pointed NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory at the comet and found something very strange. In a study, the researchers noted the detection of hydroxyl (OH) gas, a chemical fingerprint of water. This breakthrough discovery has major implications in the study of comets and other star systems, as this shows that the building blocks of life might not be unique to our solar system. Also, the comet was seen releasing this gas at a distance from the Sun where typically comets are silent. But 3I/ATLAS was shooting jets when it was nearly three times farther from the Sun than Earth. When comets come near the Sun, the water ice on a comet’s surface starts turning into a gas. The alien comet was recorded losing water at a rate of about 40 kg per second.

The criteria for studying comets that originate in our solar system are also based on the water they release as they move towards the Sun. Seeing 3I/ATLAS acting in a similar way, albeit at a much farther distance, means that they could apply the same rules to this comet as well. This also offers a chance to study the chemistry of planetary systems beyond our Sun. The comet was spotted releasing water like a hose at such a distant place, and it wasn't possible for ground observatories to catch the signs. But Neil Gehrels is a space-based telescope and was able to spot a faint ultraviolet glow. It was a strong signal and meant that something unknown was going on. The simple reasoning would be that the heat from the sun was heating small icy grains released from the comet's nucleus, vaporising them.

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3I/ATLAS could reveal if life exists in other systems

The biggest takeaway from this discovery is that water could be sustaining life elsewhere in the universe as well. "When we detect water – or even its faint ultraviolet echo, OH – from an interstellar comet, we’re reading a note from another planetary system," Dennis Bodewits, professor of physics at Auburn, said. "It tells us that the ingredients for life’s chemistry are not unique to our own." 3I/ATLAS is a great chance to learn about the makeup of some other planetary system where water plays a key role.

It also tells how diverse the cosmic neighbourhood is since the other two interstellar visitors - Oumuamua and Borisov - were starkly different. While the former was dry, Borisov was rich in carbon monoxide. Meanwhile, ATLAS was releasing water at a point where it shouldn't have. "Each one is rewriting what we thought we knew about how planets and comets form around stars."

3I/ATLAS near the Sun

Right now, 3I/ATLAS is hiding in the Sun's glare. It reached solar conjunction around October 21 and hit perihelion on October 29. It will be a few more days before it becomes visible again. Scientists are waiting for it to reemerge since this encounter would have changed it dramatically.