ALMA millimeter array detects massive volatile methanol plume erupting from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS

Astronomers utilizing the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array resolved intense molecular methanol emission surrounding interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS. High-velocity icy grains shed into the coma sublimate like micro-comets, revealing that the interstellar visitor originated in an alien protoplanetary system rich in organic volatiles.

ScienceDaily · Sep 9, 2026