Overview
- An unreviewed preprint by Josep Trigo‑Rodríguez and colleagues reports jets seen near the October 29 perihelion that they interpret as active cryovolcanism, with spectra suggesting similarities to trans‑Neptunian objects.
- ALMA detected unusually high methanol and hydrogen cyanide in the coma, and JWST data indicate an atypical carbon‑dioxide‑to‑water ratio, findings that inform formation scenarios but are not biological signals.
- NASA and ESA say 3I/ATLAS is a natural comet with no detected signs of engineering or propulsion and reiterate there is no impact threat to Earth.
- The closest approach to Earth is expected on December 19 at roughly 270 million kilometers on the far side of the Sun, and astronomers note it requires a telescope to observe.
- Updated orbital solutions reduce the estimated non‑gravitational acceleration and project a close pass near Jupiter’s Hill sphere around March 16, 2026, a configuration scientists are monitoring for potential trajectory changes.