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**Headline: JWST Discovers ‘Bizarre’ Carbon Dioxide-Rich Coma Around Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS**

**[City, State] –** The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made a surprising discovery about 3I/ATLAS, the interstellar comet currently passing through our solar system. A new study, pre-printed on arXiv and led by Martin Cordiner of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the Catholic University of America, reveals that the comet’s coma, the cloud of gas and dust surrounding its nucleus, is unusually rich in carbon dioxide.

JWST, using its NIRSpec infrared camera, observed 3I/ATLAS on August 6th, finding the comet’s coma composition to include water, carbon monoxide, and carbonyl sulfide, but the ratio of carbon dioxide to water is a staggering 8 to 1 – far exceeding any comet observed to date. This is six standard deviations above the typical value. While the ratio of carbon monoxide to water is closer to previous observations, the high level of carbon dioxide is puzzling scientists.

Researchers are exploring several possible explanations for this unique composition. One possibility is that 3I/ATLAS formed in a region with extremely high levels of ultraviolet radiation or beyond the CO2 “ice line,” where carbon dioxide ice is much more abundant than water ice. Other explanations include the sun hitting the comet and the different melting points of CO2 and water.

The study also found the ratio of carbon isotopes, Carbon-12 and Carbon-13, to be similar to those found on Earth, suggesting the comet formed in an environment with comparable carbon compounds.

3I/ATLAS, discovered in early July, represents only the third confirmed interstellar visitor to our solar system. The first, ‘Oumuamua, was too faint for detailed analysis. The second, 2I/Borisov, had a higher carbon monoxide to water ratio. Astronomers are now racing against the clock to gather as much data as possible before 3I/ATLAS reaches its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) in October and then heads back out of our solar system. While some Mars probes may catch a glimpse as it approaches perihelion, 3I/ATLAS will likely be less active and have shed much of its material by the time it becomes visible again in December.

“This finding highlights the diversity of interstellar objects and the valuable insights they can provide into the conditions of other star systems,” Cordiner said in a statement. “Further observations will be crucial to understanding the origin and evolution of 3I/ATLAS and other interstellar comets.”

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