3i/Atlas shows extreme chemical richness as Alma detects strongest methanol and hydrogen cyanide signals ever seen

Scientists have been studying a rare space object called 3I/ATLAS. It is special because it did not come from our solar system. It is only the third interstellar object ever seen passing by the Sun. Recently, the ALMA observatory in Chile found something very surprising about this comet.

ALMA discovered that 3I/ATLAS has very high amounts of two chemicals:

Methanol (CH₃OH) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN).

These levels are some of the strongest ever seen in any comet. Only one other comet, called C/2016 R2, had stronger levels.

What scientists observed when they studied 3i/Atlas up close

A research team led by Nathan X. Roth used ALMA’s radio telescopes to study the comet many times between August and October 2025. They checked methanol on four different days and hydrogen cyanide on two days.

The scientists noticed something interesting. As 3I/ATLAS moved closer to the Sun, the amount of methanol coming from the comet increased very quickly. This happened near the point where the Sun’s heat becomes strong enough to turn water ice into gas.

When the team compared the chemical levels of 3I/ATLAS with those of other comets, the numbers were very unusual. The methanol-to-hydrogen cyanide ratios measured on September 12 and 15 were some of the highest ever recorded.

Only comet C/2016 R2 had higher numbers. This makes 3I/ATLAS even more mysterious, and many scientists are closely watching it because its behavior is not like that of normal comets.

Does finding methanol mean there is life

Some people may think that finding methanol means there could be life on or around the comet. But scientists say methanol does not prove life. Methanol can be made naturally without any living organisms.

A 2022 study by researcher Sara Seager and her team explained that methanol is a poor sign of life because a planet would need extremely large amounts for us to detect it. Life is not likely to produce such huge amounts, so methanol alone cannot be used as proof of life.

What Is ALMA

ALMA is one of the most powerful space observatories in the world. It is located in the dry Atacama Desert in Chile. ALMA has 66 large antennas that work together to study objects in space. Many countries, including the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile, work together to run ALMA.

ALMA has studied many comets in the past. It even once detected a possible sign of phosphine on Venus, which some people thought could be linked to life, though more research is still needed.