JWST Detects First Mid-Infrared Methane Signature in Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS
To the point
JWST's MIRI detected methane for the first time in an interstellar object, comet 3I/ATLAS, showing a high methane-to-water ratio and unusually abundant CO2 that suggest a formation history different from most solar system comets, with water vapor spread through the coma while CO2 and CH4 stay concentrated near the nucleus and gas production falls as the object moves farther from the Sun.
