Water fingerprint found on comet older than our solar system, study reveals

Scientists discovered water signatures on 3I/ATLAS, a seven-billion-year-old interstellar comet traveling through our solar system at 130,000 mph. Using NASA's space-based telescope, researchers detected hydroxyl gas—a chemical fingerprint of water—being released at 88 pounds per second, despite the Manhattan-sized comet being three times farther from the Sun than Earth. This marks the first time water has been found on an interstellar object, providing evidence that the basic ingredients for life exist beyond our solar system and helping scientists understand how planets and comets form around other stars.