The mysterious space object 3I/ATLAS has been captured by the Webb telescope and the image reveals a new oddity.

A mysterious interstellar object was discovered in early July by the ATLAS observatory in Chile. According to researchers at the University of Oxford, it could be the oldest comet ever seen, dating back 7 billion years. Furthermore, when it was first observed, it was located about 670 million kilometers from the Sun. This space interloper is called 3I/ATLAS , and thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope, the first images of this comet can be seen when it was 365 million kilometers from Earth.

The photographs reveal that its hyperbolic trajectory originates from beyond the solar system and that it will not return because it is not gravitationally bound to the Sun. In addition to its rarity, it is an active comet that releases dust and gases as it approaches the star, which constitutes the largest source of electromagnetic radiation in the solar system. However, a recent image from the James Webb Space Telescope reveals that the tail of comet 3I/ATLAS contains primarily carbon dioxide and, to a lesser extent, water, water ice, dust, and carbon monoxide.

A study pending publication reveals that the ratio of water to carbon dioxide in the tail is among the highest recorded for a comet at similar distances. Therefore, based on the high percentage of gas, scientists determine that the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS harbors ices that were enhanced after exposure to higher levels of radiation than any other comet has encountered—meaning the nucleus is rich in carbon dioxide .

Furthermore, the data obtained by James Webb demonstrate that these interstellar objects can harbor thermal and chemical characteristics very different from those of other comets traveling through the Solar System, considering that the absence of a tail indicates that 3I/ATLAS does not eject many dust particles with a size similar to the wavelength of sunlight.

What we know about 3I/ATLAS

3I/ATLAS is an active comet traveling at approximately 210,000 kilometers per hour . This interstellar object may provide clues about how planetary systems form around other stars. It is about 7 billion years old —older than the Sun and any known planet—and was first detected by the ATLAS observatory on July 1, 2025. It is currently heading toward its closest approach to the Sun , expected in late October.

For NASA, 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar comet that has crossed our solar system on a hyperbolic trajectory . Furthermore, this American space agency indicates that there is no danger of this interstellar object impacting the Earth .

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