Scientists have discovered that the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS is billions of years older than Earth, and possibly older than the Sun. The object, which passed Earth last year, sparked speculation of an alien spaceship before NASA confirmed it was a comet.
Age and Origin
Astronomers using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) determined that 3I/ATLAS likely originated from a dying star system. The comet's age could be three times that of Earth, meaning it formed billions of years before any life on our planet. Rosemary Dorse, a researcher in Helsinki and co-author of the study, said: "3I/ATLAS is a really exciting opportunity to probe the composition of another planetary system, one that formed long before our Sun and Solar System even existed."
Composition and Alien Craft Fears
The comet contains lethal gases including nitrogen, cyanide, and carbon. Its formation likely occurred on the outskirts of a low-metallicity star, lacking elements like helium. When 3I/ATLAS whizzed past Earth, some believed it was an alien craft, but NASA ruled this out. Cyrielle Opitom from the University of Edinburgh noted: "The field of interstellar objects is still very new, and we do not really know what to expect. Every time a new one is discovered, we have new surprises."
Ongoing Observations
Tracking the comet is becoming more difficult as it moves past the Sun. Further studies with the VLT are dwindling, but scientists are developing larger telescopes to continue observing the universe.
