{"id":15055,"date":"2026-06-23T18:17:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T18:17:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=15055"},"modified":"2026-06-23T18:17:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T18:17:09","slug":"interstellar-comet-likely-far-older-than-solar-system-astronomers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?p=15055","title":{"rendered":"Interstellar comet likely far older than Solar System: astronomers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 300px 160px; gap: 2px; width: 460px; background: #eee; padding: 2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u6574\u884c\u5bbd\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876674\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column: 1\/-1; width: 460px; height: 90px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876676\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u5de6\u4fa7\u7ad6\u6392 -->\r\n  <div style=\"height: 250px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876672\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  <div style=\"height: 500px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876680\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u6469\u5929\u697c\uff08\u548c\u5de6\u4fa7\u5b8c\u5168\u5bf9\u9f50\uff09 -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row: 3\/5; height: 750px; background: #ccc; display: grid; place-items: center;\">\r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e2\" data-zoneid=\"5876678\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n  \r\n  <script async type=\"application\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/a.magsrv.com\/ad-provider.js\"><\/script> \r\n <ins class=\"eas6a97888e6\" data-zoneid=\"5876682\"><\/ins> \r\n <script>(AdProvider = window.AdProvider || []).push({\"serve\": {}});<\/script>\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-right:0;padding-left:0\">\n<p>An interstellar comet that blazed past the Sun last year could be nearly three times older than our Solar System and is unlike anything ever before seen in our cosmic backyard, astronomers said Monday.<\/p>\n<p>The comet 3I\/ATLAS is just the third visitor from beyond our Solar System that humanity has ever observed, its unusual brightness offering scientists an unprecedented opportunity to study something that came from elsewhere in the galaxy.<\/p>\n<p>After being spotted in July last year, the space rock prompted excitement online, with one prominent Harvard researcher speculating it could be an alien spacecraft \u2014 a theory that NASA shot down.<\/p>\n<p>Now, observations by the world\u2019s most powerful telescopes are revealing more about the unique comet.<\/p>\n<p>According to a new study published in the journal Nature, 3I\/ATLAS could be up to 12 billion years old. Our Solar System is believed to have formed around 4.5 billion years ago.<\/p>\n<p>Lead study author Martin Cordiner of NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center told AFP that \u201cmaybe it\u2019s the oldest object to have been observed in our Solar System\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>However there could be \u201cedge-case scenarios\u201d that offer other explanations for the comet\u2019s unusual chemical composition, he added.<\/p>\n<p>The new research is based on the comet\u2019s ratio of chemical elements called isotopes detected by the James Webb space telescope and the ALMA observatory in Chile.<\/p>\n<p>These measurements \u201creveal an elemental composition unlike any Solar System body\u201d, the study said.<\/p>\n<p>Compared to comets in our Solar System, 3I\/ATLAS had around 30 times more deuterium, a type of hydrogen commonly seen in heavy water, according to a NASA statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat high abundance of heavy water can only really happen, according to our understanding of astrochemistry, in a very cold environment,\u201d Cordiner explained.<\/p>\n<p>This means the comet is also likely among the coldest objects ever seen in our Solar System, the isotopic evidence suggesting it formed in an environment that was minus 243 degrees Celsius.<\/p>\n<p>Exactly where this comet came from within the Milky Way remains a mystery.<\/p>\n<p>But these interstellar objects are thought to form in a similar way to the comets in our Solar System \u2014 being flung out during the violent formation of a new planet.<\/p>\n<p>Untethered to any star, 3I\/ATLAS likely spent billions of years on\u00a0\u201cvast unimaginable trajectories around our galaxy,\u201d Cordiner said.<\/p>\n<p>The scientists also detected a strange lack of chemical enrichment on the comet, which suggests it formed relatively close to stars being born.<\/p>\n<p>It could even be a \u201crelic\u201d from an era called \u201ccosmic noon\u201d when many stars were forming around 10 billion years ago, Cordiner said.<\/p>\n<p>The previous interstellar objects \u2014 1I\/\u2019Oumuamua, which was spotted in 2017, followed by 2I\/Borisov in 2019 \u2014 were not bright enough to gather isotopic evidence.<\/p>\n<p>Harvard professor Avi Loeb, who had previously sparked controversy by suggesting \u2018Oumuamua could be an alien spacecraft, made similar suggestions about 3I\/ATLAS.<\/p>\n<p>However NASA has dismissed this possibility. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) said last month it had found \u201cno evidence of extraterrestrial technology\u201d on the comet.<\/p>\n<p>Steve Croft, an Oxford University researcher with SETI\u2019s Breakthrough Listen Initiative, told AFP that all observations of the comet \u201care consistent with it being a natural astrophysical object\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Several astronomers who have studied 3I\/ATLAS, but were not involved in the new research, hailed the \u201cunprecedented\u201d results.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUntil these measurements we could only really dream about\u201d getting this kind of information for an interstellar object, Darryl Seligman of Michigan State University told AFP.<\/p>\n<p>He cautioned that the comet\u2019s age remained uncertain, adding it was \u201ca safe bet that it\u2019s older than anything that formed in the Solar System\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Astronomer Peter Veres, who was involved in identifying the comet at the International Astronomical Union\u2019s Minor Planet Center, called the research \u201cexciting\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe comet is now leaving the Solar System and will never return, so future observations will become increasingly difficult,\u201d he told AFP.<\/p>\n<p>However astronomers expect to spot many more interstellar objects in the coming years, particularly via the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is just the beginning of an exciting new field, we\u2019ve got a lot more to learn about these things \u2014 and what they can tell us about our galaxy,\u201d Cordiner concluded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u603b\u5bb9\u5668\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u5bbd908px Grid\u7d27\u51d1\u5e03\u5c40 -->\r\n<div style=\"display: grid; grid-template-columns: 728px 160px; gap:2px; width:908px; background:#eee; padding:2px;\">\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u901a\u680f\u9876\u90e8\uff1a\u6700\u5927\u6a2a\u5e45 908x258 \u8de8\u6574\u884c -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; height:258px; background:#ff6b6b; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114307\" data-width=\"908\" data-height=\"258\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114307});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u7b2c\u4e8c\u901a\u680f\uff1a728\u00d790 \u901a\u680f -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-column:1\/-1; 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display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114302\" data-width=\"133\" data-height=\"139\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114302});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n    <div style=\"height:125px; background:#91e7ac; display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n\t\r\n<!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114303\" data-width=\"125\" data-height=\"125\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114303});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n  <!-- \u53f3\u4fa7\u7ad6\u680f\uff1a160\u00d7600 \u6574\u5217\u9ad8\u5e7f\u544a -->\r\n  <div style=\"grid-row:3\/8; height:600px;  display:grid; place-items:center;\">\r\n    <!-- JuicyAds v3.0 -->\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async src=\"https:\/\/poweredby.jads.co\/js\/jads.js\"><\/script>\r\n<ins id=\"1114301\" data-width=\"160\" data-height=\"600\"><\/ins>\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" data-cfasync=\"false\" async>(adsbyjuicy = window.adsbyjuicy || []).push({'adzone':1114301});<\/script>\r\n<!--JuicyAds END-->\r\n  <\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><br \/>\n<br \/> Interstellar comet likely far older than Solar System: astronomers<br \/>\n<br \/>#Interstellar #comet #older #Solar #System #astronomers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An interstellar comet that blazed past the Sun last year could be nearly three times&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15056,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[13148,13147,13146,11958,1492,254],"class_list":["post-15055","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","tag-astronomers","tag-comet","tag-interstellar","tag-older","tag-solar","tag-system"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd.jpg",768,565,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd-300x221.jpg",300,221,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd.jpg",640,471,false],"large":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd.jpg",640,471,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd.jpg",768,565,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd.jpg",768,565,false],"covernews-slider-full":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd.jpg",768,565,false],"covernews-slider-center":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd-768x500.jpg",768,500,true],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd.jpg",768,565,false],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"covernews-medium-square":["https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/10b9aa9e6aae61d2a85ee8bc606f545875a663cd-400x250.jpg",400,250,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?author=1"},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/?cat=7\" rel=\"category\">Stories<\/a>","tag_info":"Stories","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15055","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15055"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15055\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15055"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15055"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8657085.xyz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15055"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}