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3I Hypothesized, Rovib-Characterized

The comet chronicling continues:

Astrophysics > Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics  arxiv.org/abs/2508.16825
[Submitted on 22 Aug 2025)
Davenport, J. R. A. Sheikh, S. Z. Croft, S. et al.  Technosignature Searches of Interstellar Objects

Astrophysics > Earth and Planetary Astrophysics  arxiv.org/abs/2508.18209
[Submitted on 25 Aug 2025)
Cordiner, M. A. Roth, N. X. Kelley, M. S. P. et al.  JWST detection of a carbon dioxide dominated gas coma surrounding interstellar object 3I/ATLAS

Regarding technosignature searches, this is what science looks like: wondering if one is asking the right questions, not offering answers. Answers that did not follow a specific question. Specific, pointed questions then lead to apt answers; handwaving ‘answer-questions’ only produce confusion, and other ‘answer-questions’. (Which may be why pseudo-science nuts put out ‘answer-questions’.) Davenport et al. establish broader, supporting data (and future prospects) first, to ensure context, not cherry-picking. Presenting factoids first is a sign of salesmanship, not science.

You knew it was going to happen: someone was going to turn JWST on 3I/ATLAS. Apparently Cordiner et al. submitted the winning proposal, and got time on that oversubscribed telescope. 3I is carbon dioxide rich, more than water rich… but not to a record-breaking degree (that would be Comet C/2016 R2 (Pan-STARRS), one of the hyperactive comets- how’s that for context). Still, they observed ATLAS at 3.32 astronomical units out (that’s in the outer Main Belt). They caution that, like Solar System comets, it’s still early, ATLAS is still rather cold, and activity is still starting.

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