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3I/ATLAS Formed in Extreme Cold, Interstellar Study Finds
Key Takeaways
- 3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object ever detected, and it passed near Earth before looping around the Sun.
- UK researchers used the WEAVE spectrograph on the 4.2m William Herschel Telescope to study ionised gases as the comet left the Solar System.
- Five ions were detected simultaneously: dinitrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water and hydrocarbons.
- The dinitrogen to carbon monoxide ratio shows the comet formed below -240°C (-400°F).
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DT Editorial Team··via universetoday.com