More ‘scoops’ (potentially…) from the arXiv.org preprint server:
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics > arxiv.org/abs/2602.14218
Li, J. Shi, X. Hui, M-t. et al. Pre-Perihelion Volatile Evolution of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Indicating Significant Contribution from Extended Source in the Coma
My usual disclaimer: preprints are not prints- these are papers rushed out without the standard peer-review as a “gatekeeper”. All reserve the right to be wrong.
Hyperactive comets are comets which eject both gas and ‘dustballs’, the dustballs themselves ejecting their own gas. You can think of this as a fractal, recursive comet(s), a hierarchy of ‘mini-comets’, a chain reaction analogous to the radioactive decay of ultra-heavy elements, etc. If a comet is particularly hyperactive, then the emission rate (measured in surface area that’s emitting) would actually exceed the true, physical nucleus surface area. If you were unaware of hyperactivity, it would appear that the active, emitting surface of the nucleus exceeds 100%- seemingly impossible, until you grasp hyperactivity.
However you think of it, think of our friend 3I/ATLAS as another example of it. Li et al. certainly have evidence of it. ATLAS is, at least somewhat, hyperactive.