Scientists: comet 3I/ATLAS reveals chemical building blocks of life

Astronomers studying interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, only the third ever discovered, found molecules key to life's origins, including hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, methanol and methane. Data from ALMA and James Webb suggest the object may be a preserved planetesimal fragment from another star system.

• 3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object, observed for about four months
• ALMA detected hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde and methanol in its coma
• James Webb spotted methane, a greenhouse gas, being released
• Bennu samples contained all five nucleotide bases, supporting seeding theory