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The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has stunned astronomers once again after new observations revealed what appear to be Ice Volcanoes erupting from its surface. The startling discovery, described in an arXiv preprint study and confirmed by high-resolution imaging, suggests that 31/ATLAS may share a composition strikingly similar to icy bodies that orbit our own Sun far beyond Neptune.

Cryovolcanic Jets Detected as 3I/ATLAS Approaches the Sun

Researchers analyzing the comet’s coma and jet structures identified spiraling plumes blasting outward—behavior consistent with cryovolcanism. These “ice volcanoes” activate when the comet warms during solar approach, triggering eruptions of volatile materials.

A new study notes that 3I/ATLAS appears to have spiral jets, with scientists interpreting the patterns as “a type of cryovolcanism or icy volcanoes.” Lead author Josep Trigo-Rodríguez, a senior researcher at the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC/IEEC), emphasized the significance of the finding:

"Being a comet formed in a remote planetary system, it is remarkable that the mixture of materials forming the surface of the body has a resemblance with trans-Neptunian objects."

According to a report by Live Science, the team used the Joan Oró Telescope at the Montsec Observatory in Catalonia, pairing its data with observations from additional regional observatories.

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Heating Near the Sun Triggered Icy Eruptions

As the comet came within 235 million miles of the Sun, it entered a heightened sublimation stage. During this heating event, the comet brightened dramatically, as described by Knewz.com.

Images from the Joan Oró Telescope revealed high-resolution views of gas and dust jets—clear signatures of cryovolcanic discharge. Cryovolcanoes typically form on icy bodies with interior heat sources. This internal warmth melts subsurface ice, enabling eruptions of vapor and dust.

Researchers believe that 3I/ATLAS’s cryovolcanic activity is triggered by a chemical process inside the comet. As sunlight heats the surface, dry ice sublimates, releasing oxidizing liquid that flows inward and reacts with metallic grains rich in iron, nickel, and sulfides.

A Blue-Green Coma and a Clue to the Comet’s Origin

The comet has also displayed a blue-green gas coma stretching 2.5 arcminutes—an indication of complex chemical interactions.

To investigate its makeup, scientists performed a spectroscopic comparison, examining how the comet’s materials interacted with light. They even compared the data to carbonaceous chondrites collected by NASA from Antarctica—ancient meteorites that preserve some of the earliest material in the solar system.

One sample included what may be a fragment of a trans-Neptunian object. The similarity between this material and the composition of 31/ATLAS suggests that the interstellar comet may share origins with the icy worlds that inhabit our own outer solar system.

The study concludes that 3I/ATLAS is likely rich in metals and composed of primitive, pristine materials, offering researchers an unprecedented glimpse into planetary systems beyond our own.

USA Herald, 31/ATLAS, 3I/ATLAS comet, Interstellar comet, Ice volcanoes, Cryovolcanism, Trans-Neptunian objects, Joan Oró Telescope, Montsec Observatory, Blue-green coma, Carbonaceous chondrites, Interstellar astronomy, Comet composition, Solar system formation, Sublimation jets, Cryovolcanic activity