3I/ATLAS Has Chemistry Unlike Anything We've Ever Seen

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed that 3I/ATLAS contains a carbon dioxide-to-water ice ratio of 8:1 - among the highest ever recorded in any comet. This "out of this world" chemistry explains why the comet began glowing far from the Sun, initially leading some scientists to wonder if we were witnessing humanity's first encounter with alien technology. Tonight we explore this extraordinary composition and what it tells us about the alien stellar environment where this visitor was born.