"New observations from the Very Large Telescope in Chile revealed that 3I/ATLAS is emitting high amounts of nickel in its gaseous coma, alongside smaller traces of iron. The ratio of nickel to iron is far beyond anything seen in comets, even more extreme than 2I/Borisov, the only other well-studied interstellar comet. Nickel was detected consistently throughout 3I/ATLAS's activity, while iron appeared only when the comet drew closer to the sun."
"Under normal conditions, comets at such distances are far too cold to vaporize the minerals that contain these heavy metals. 'This is extremely puzzling,' the study's authors wrote, noting that the skewed nickel-to-iron ratio challenges existing models of comet formation and activity. The research team suggested that the unusual metals could come from rare metal compounds, tiny hot spots on the comet's surface, its original chemical makeup or high levels of carbon oxides."
"3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar object observed passing through our solar system. The first, 'Oumuamua, was discovered in 2017, followed by 2I/Borisov in 2019. '3I/ATLAS formed in another star system and was somehow ejected into interstellar space,' NASA said in a statement. 'For millions or even billions of years, it drifted until it recently arrived at our solar system. It has been approaching from the general direction of the constellation Sagittarius, near the central region of the Milky Way.'"
3I/ATLAS emits high amounts of nickel in its gaseous coma with smaller traces of iron, producing a nickel-to-iron ratio far higher than Solar System comets and 2I/Borisov. Nickel emission persisted across the object's activity, while iron appeared only as the object neared the Sun. At its observed distances, temperatures are too low to vaporize minerals that typically contain these heavy metals. Possible explanations include rare metal compounds, localized hot spots on the surface, intrinsic chemical composition, or sublimation driven by high levels of carbon oxides. 3I/ATLAS originated in another star system and is the third known interstellar object observed passing through the Solar System.
Read at Mail Online
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