Comet 3I/ATLAS has been transformed by billions of years of space radiation, James Webb Space Telescope observations reveal
SMRTR summary
A comet racing through our solar system at 130,000 miles per hour has been so bombarded by cosmic radiation that its outer crust no longer resembles the star system where it was born.
Comet 3I/ATLAS has spent billions of years wandering the Milky Way, soaking up galactic cosmic rays that have transformed its surface down to depths of 50 to 65 feet. Unlike objects in our solar system, which are protected by the sun's radiation bubble, this interstellar visitor had no shield during its lonely journey through space.
The cosmic bombardment slowly converted carbon monoxide in the comet's ice into carbon dioxide over eons. "It's very slow, but over billions of years, it's a very strong effect," says study lead author Romain Maggiolo from the Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy.
The findings, based on James Webb Space Telescope observations, represent what researchers call a "paradigm shift." Rather than being pristine time capsules from distant star systems, interstellar comets may be products of their galactic wanderings, carrying stories of the cosmic radiation that sculpted them during their multibillion-year odysseys.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Live Science.
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