Interstellar Comet Ejects Water at a Rate of 2 Tons per Second 0 14

Imagine this: an interstellar visitor, comet 3I/ATLAS, is fountain-like ejecting so much water into space that in just one day, it could fill about 70 Olympic swimming pools! This astonishing data was obtained by scientists through careful observations from the ESA JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer) mission, which spotted this cosmic object in November 2025 using its highly sensitive instruments MAJIS and JANUS.

Incredible Guest from the Depths of Space

3I/ATLAS is a true rarity, as it is only the third known object to arrive in our Solar System directly from interstellar space. Like its "terrestrial" relatives, this comet began to actively melt and vaporize ice as it approached the Sun. Under the scorching heat, the ice in its core instantly turned into gas, creating a spectacular coma and a long, shining tail around the comet. But what particularly surprised researchers was its extraordinarily strong "outburst" — much more powerful than anticipated!

Evidence of Activity

The MAJIS instrument played a key role, capturing clear infrared signals of water vapor and carbon dioxide. This unequivocally indicates the intense release of volatile substances from beneath the comet's surface, which occurred shortly after passing perihelion — the closest point to the Sun. According to the boldest estimates from scientists, the comet is losing about 2 tons of its material every second! Exact data on its total mass is not yet available, but various calculations suggest it could reach a colossal 33 billion tons.

Challenges of Observation and the Value of Discovery

These observations were a true feat for scientists, as they were not planned in advance and turned out to be incredibly challenging. The weak signal and very short "window of visibility" posed serious challenges. Only in February 2026 did valuable data finally reach Earth. Now, this unique information will allow researchers to study the chemical composition of material that formed in a completely different star system billions of years ago. This will help us understand much more deeply what mysterious interstellar comets look like and how they evolve, shedding light on the distant corners of our Universe.