Overview
- Spanish-led research posted to arXiv on November 24 interprets 3I/ATLAS’s perihelion brightening as cryovolcanic activity on its surface.
- High-resolution observations from the Joan Oró Telescope captured jets of gas and dust around October 29, when the comet was near its closest approach to the Sun.
- The team reports that the activity likely released pristine material from the interior, with warming of frozen carbon dioxide proposed as a driver.
- The study argues the comet’s makeup resembles trans‑Neptunian objects and dwarf planets formed far from the Sun.
- The paper remains unreviewed, and separate commentary from Avi Loeb about a sunward “anti-tail” of accompanying objects is speculative and unconfirmed, while NASA describes 3I/ATLAS as a comet from an unknown star system.