The comet passing through our solar system is probably older than the Sun
Future Technology
New article published
Space
The comet passing through our solar system is probably older than the Sun
3I/ATLAS formed at a temperature below minus 240C. That single reading is how astronomers worked out roughly where it came from, and it is the closest thing we have to a geology sample from another star system.
Key Takeaways
- 3I/ATLAS formed at below minus 240C, placing its birth in the icy outskirts of its home star system.
- The chemical fingerprint points to an old star system, which makes the comet plausibly older than the Sun.
- These are the first measurements of their kind for a comet formed outside our solar system.
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