National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Webb Telescope Detects Methane on Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS

Exam-focused facts from the 3 June 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected methane gas on the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS for the first time.
The detection was made using the JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), specifically the Medium Resolution Spectrometer.
Observations took place in December when the comet was located between 329 million and 379 million kilometres from the Sun.
The comet 3I/ATLAS exhibited higher concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide relative to water vapour compared to comets born within the solar system.
The findings regarding the chemical composition of the interstellar comet were published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.