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'Alien comet' 3I/ATLAS gets green tint during lunar eclipse
Comet 3I/ATLAS, cruising in from beyond our solar system, is catching attention as it nears the Sun for a close encounter next month.
Astronomers recently spotted its coma—the cloud around its core—shifting from red to green during a lunar eclipse, along with changes like a longer tail and denser glow.
Green hue from cyanide release, says expert
Harvard's Avi Loeb thinks the new green tint comes from extra cyanide being released as the comet heats up near the Sun.
3I/ATLAS stands out for more than just its looks: it's mostly made of carbon dioxide (about 87%), has an unusual orbit that takes it near Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, and even sparked some wild theories about alien origins—though observations increasingly indicate it is a comet.