The Very Large Telescope (VLT) detected significant nickel vapor but almost no iron in the interstellar 3I/Atlas comet. Having nickel without iron is not a chemical signature found in known natural comets and is more consistent with industrial alloy refining processes.
Nickel Without Iron and Carbon Dioxide Without water
Astronomers using the VLT observed emission lines of nickel (Ni) but failed to detect any comparable iron (Fe) lines in the comet’s outgassing plume. This contrasts with standard comets and asteroids, which always show iron and nickel together, since they’re created together in supernovae and meteoritic material. The decoupling of nickel and iron is exceedingly rare in natural objects, leading some researchers (including Avi Loeb) to consider artificial or technological explanations, as industrial nickel production commonly yields nickel without iron via processes such as the nickel carbonyl channel.
The research reporting evidence of artificial metal in the comet 3I/ATLAS comes from recent spectroscopic observations. Industrial nickel production commonly yields nickel without iron via processes such as the nickel carbonyl channel.
The paper says we If 3I/ATLAS continues to exhibit Ni without Fe through perihelion, it will constitute the first clear case where interstellar cometary metal emission is decoupled from classical refractory release. That outcome would argue for a distinct, low–temperature organometallic (or nanophase) pathway for Ni in extrasolar comets.
The mass loss rate of nickel observed was around 5 grams per second at a heliocentric distance of about 2.8 AU.
The James Webb Space Telescope and SPHEREx revealed the dust around 3I/Atlas is composed 95% of carbon dioxide and only 5% water with almost no carbon monoxide. This is again, completely unlike any comet ever observed. The comet additionally shows cyanide emission, adding another layer of chemical abnormality.
This result of nickel without iron happens on Earth from the production or refinement of advanced nickel alloys like nickel-titanium (used in shape-memory applications), where nickel is carefully separated and iron is excluded.
A New Era of ISO-Interstellar Studies
One particularly compelling aspect of 3I/ATLAS is the extended opportunity for observation. Unlike 1I/‘Oumuamua, which was discovered after perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) and while outbound from our Solar System, 3I/ATLAS was identified well before its perihelion passage. This provides a full inbound observational window.
Its galactic trajectory aligns with the thick disk of the Milky Way, a region populated by older stars. This suggests the object may have wandered through interstellar space for millions, if not hundreds of millions, of years before encountering our Solar System.
Multi-Wavelength Observations in Progress Optical Monitoring Through Citizen Science
Dr. Graykowski leads optical monitoring efforts using the UNISTELLAR Network, a decentralized array of small, smart telescopes operated by citizen scientists worldwide. Despite the object’s faintness, UNISTELLAR telescopes (with apertures of just 3-4.5 inches) have successfully detected it using image stacking techniques to compensate for the comet’s rapid motion.
Early brightness measurements reveal a steep increase in luminosity, which is consistent with dynamic new comets making their first close approach to a star.
Prospects for Spectroscopic Analysis
Future observations from large facilities, including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, will enable detailed spectroscopic studies, which are a technique used to decipher the chemical composition of astronomical objects. Spectroscopy will allow scientists to determine whether 3I/ATLAS harbors exotic compounds not commonly found in Solar System comets.
The Juno satellite around the moons of Jupiter could be sent to get the closest look at 3I/Atlas. It would to be directed to get a close intercept of about 25 million kilometers. Engines would need to be started in September. Juno is near the end of its regular mission. NASA has not made the decision to direct Juno to move and get closer to where 3I/Atlas will pass it.
NASA has outlined a plan to redirect the Juno spacecraft for a close observation of 3I/ATLAS, aiming for an intercept in March 2026, contingent on mission approval and technical feasibility. This maneuver would take place by executing a critical trajectory change in mid-September 2025, using a gravity assist near Jupiter and a velocity boost to send Juno toward a flyby with 3I/ATLAS when the comet approaches Jupiter.
Juno has several tools suited for studying 3I/ATLAS. A near-infrared spectrometer can analyze the object’s surface composition by measuring light reflections. The magnetometer might detect any magnetic properties and the microwave radiometer could sense thermal emissions.
Timeline and Maneuver
– Key Maneuver – scientists propose a thrust maneuver in mid-September 2025 (precise date suggested is September 9–14, 2025).
– Flyby Date: Juno could intercept 3I/ATLAS around March 14–16, 2026, when the comet passes within about 53.6 million kilometers (0.358 AU) of Jupiter. Juno would get to about 25 million kilometers of 3I/Atlas.
Scientific Rationale
– Juno’s suite of scientific instruments can analyze the object’s unique chemical signatures—nickel without iron and CO2 without water—which are highly abnormal for natural objects.
– This would be the first spacecraft encounter with an interstellar object, potentially providing direct, high-resolution data on its composition, structure, and possible technological origins.
Approval Status
– As of August 2025, NASA and mission scientists have stated the plan is under consideration; the fate of the maneuver will depend on mission extensions and available resources.
– If approved and technically viable, Juno would delay its planned end-of-mission plunge into Jupiter’s atmosphere in favor of this historic intercept.
In summary, the earliest that NASA could redirect Juno to closely observe 3I/ATLAS is by executing the maneuver in mid-September 2025, with the close encounter expected in March 2026—making it a unique opportunity to study the oldest, and most anomalous, interstellar object observed with modern telescopes.[
Faster, Bigger Than Other Interstellar Objects and Older Than Almost Any Other Object in Our Solar System
Unlike 1I/‘Oumuamua, which lacked any visible comet-like features, 3I/ATLAS has displayed clear cometary activity, even while still four astronomical units (AU) from the Sun (one AU is the average distance between Earth and the Sun), making 3I/ATLAS more similar to 2I/Borisov in that regard.
3I/Atlas has a coma: a diffuse envelope of gas and dust created by the sublimation (transition from solid to gas) of volatile compounds. The early onset of sublimation indicates the presence of highly volatile ices, potentially providing a pristine record of the object’s origin outside the Solar System.
3I/ATLAS is moving faster than either of the previous interstellar visitors at roughly 60 m/s, suggesting it was ejected from its parent stellar system with substantial kinetic energy, possibly due to gravitational interactions with massive planetary bodies or close stellar encounters.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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