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An interstellar comet called 3I/ATLAS, confirmed on July 1, is giving scientists a fleeting chance to study material from beyond our solar system. International teams coordinated by Michigan State University’s Darryl Z. Seligman report nickel vapor in the comet’s gas, detected nearly four times farther from the sun than Earth, at temperatures where metals normally don’t vaporize. Observations from Chile’s SOAR and Very Large telescopes show the nickel signal rising as the comet drew closer. Researchers led by Rohan Rahatgaonkar and Thomas Puzia say continued monitoring could reveal where it formed and whether it is older than our solar system.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.