Overview
- Researchers led by Josep Trigo‑Rodríguez report a sustained ~2‑magnitude brightening near 2.5 au and high‑resolution images of multiple jets, which they interpret as global cryovolcanic activation.
- Spectrophotometric comparisons suggest a primitive, metal‑bearing carbonaceous composition resembling CR chondrites and trans‑Neptunian objects, potentially driving unusual coma chemistry.
- The team proposes that warming volatiles interacting with fine metal grains could trigger energy‑releasing reactions, helping to sustain vigorous outgassing.
- NASA’s Psyche spacecraft imaged 3I/ATLAS in September, data that refined its trajectory and characterized a faint coma, complementing ongoing ground‑based campaigns.
- USA TODAY reports the comet will pass about 170 million miles from Earth on Dec. 19 and remains classified by NASA as a natural object, despite speculative ‘swarm’ or technology claims circulating elsewhere.