Astronomers Stunned To Discover A Comet Loaded With Alcohol

Comet 3I/ATLAS has once again found its way into headlines as astronomers are astounded to learn the famous space rock is emitting large amounts of organic methanol in its coma. The group of astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, also known as ALMA, to make the discovery.

Late last year astronomers and other scientists debated whether Comet 3I/ATLAS was a natural swan comet from another star system or possibly a piece of alien technology. While that debate remains unsettled, new findings indicate the comet is second only to C/2016 R2 in terms of methanol levels ever recorded in a comet within our solar system.

"Observing 3I/ATLAS is like taking a fingerprint from another solar system," noted Nathan Roth, lead author on the research, and a professor with American University. Roth continued, "The details reveal what it’s made of, and it’s bursting with methanol ...