Webb Telescope Identifies Ice Signatures on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

• A Southwest Research Institute–led study used the Webb Telescope to examine comet 3I/ATLAS.
• The telescope observed ice grains and dust aggregates about a micron or smaller from the comet.
• The study identified similarities between the comet's ice and that found in regions beyond Neptune.
• Observations were made three times between August 2025 and April 2026, capturing the comet before and after its closest approach to the sun.
• This is only the third interstellar object identified from beyond our solar system.