NASA and Chilean Scientists Study 3I/ATLAS, A Comet That Breaks the Rules
Interstellar visitors are rare guests in our Solar System, but when they appear they often rewrite the rules of astronomy. Such is the case with 3I/ATLAS, a fast-moving object that has left scientists puzzled with its bizarre behaviour. Recent findings from NASA and Chilean researchers reveal that this comet-like body is expelling an unusual plume of nickel—without the iron that typically accompanies it. The discovery challenges conventional wisdom about how comets form and evolve, sparking both excitement and controversy across the scientific community.
A Cosmic Outsider: What Is 3I/ATLAS?
The object 3I/ATLAS—the third known interstellar traveler after "Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019)—was first detected in July 2025 by the ATLAS telescope network, which scans he skies for potentially hazardous objects. Earlier images from Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory had unknowingly captured it, but its presence remained unnoticed until later analysis.
Unlike typical comets in our Solar System, which release gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water vapour as they approach the Sun, 3I/ATLAS has shown strikingly abnormal chemical signatures.
The Unusual Nickel Signature
A Rare Emission Without Iron
Using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, astronomers identified a plume of nickel streaming from 3I/ATLAS. Normally, nickel and iron appear together in comets because they are both forged in stellar explosions like supernovae. However, this object displays nickel emissions without any trace of iron, a feature that stunned scientists.
Chilean astrophysicists calculated that 3I/ATLAS is releasing nickel at about five grams per second and cyanide at twenty grams per second. Strikingly, these rates increase dramatically as the object approaches the Sun, contradicting the steady release seen in conventional comets.
Possible Explanations
Researchers proposed that sunlight may be freeing nickel from cometary dust—either by breaking down small nickel compounds or causing evaporation. Yet this process is considered extremely rare in natural comets.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and SPHEREx mission added further intrigue by showing a plume dominated by carbon dioxide, with water comprising only five percent. This makes 3I/ATLAS far less water-rich than typical comets, suggesting its brightness originates mostly from a dusty coma rather than a solid ice core.
AVI Loeb's Controversial Theory
Industrial Nickel Alloys?
Harvard physicist AVI Loeb, a well-known advocate of exploring extraterrestrial technological origins, highlighted the anomaly. He argued that the observed nickel traces resemble those of industrially produced nickel alloys, which are routinely created using the nickel carbonyl process —a method unheard of in natural cometary chemistry.
In his blog, Loeb posed a bold question:
"Could this anomaly represent further evidence of a technological source for 3I/ATLAS?"
Alien Vessel or Cosmic Curiosity?
Loeb has gone so far as to suggest that 3I/ATLAS might be a manufactured vessel of extraterrestrial origin. This follows his earlier controversial claims about 'Oumuamua' which he proposed could have been alien technology rather than a natural object.
However, many scientists strongly reject this interpretation. Chris Lintott, an Oxford astronomer, dismissed Loeb's theory as "nonsense on stilts" and "an insult to the exciting work being done to understand this object."
NASA's Observations: Dust and Radiation Pressure
The Shrinking Nucleus Hypothesis
NASA scientists have also examined data from Hubble and other space telescopes, suggesting that the nucleus of 3I/ATLAS is likely much smaller than initial estimates of 29 miles across. Instead, most of the sunlight we see appears to reflect off its dense dust cloud, rather than from its core.
A Tail That Was Never Seen
If 3I/ATLAS truly has such a thick dust coma, solar radiation pressure would naturally push the dust outward, creating a brilliant tail. Yet, curiously, Hubble did not detect any tail, raising even more questions about the object's true nature.
Breaking the Rules of Comets
Comets traditionally act like frozen time capsules of the early Solar System, made mostly of water, dust and simple gases. But 3I/ATLAS is rewriting this script:
- No iron emission, despite abundant nickel.
- Carbon dioxide-rich, yet nearly dry of water.
- Unstable release rates, with sharp increases near the Sun.
- Potentially artificial-like chemical pathways.
Such anomalies force astronomers to consider whether interstellar visitors form under different conditions that Solar System comets —or if, as Loeb suggests, we may be looking at something entirely different.
A Window Into the Unknown
The Broader Scientific Debate
While Loeb's alien technology hypothesis makes headlines, most astrophysicists urge caution. They argue that unusual chemistry can still emerge through rare natural processes we don not yet fully understand. The debate highlights the tension between scientific conservatism and bold speculation in the search for cosmic truth.
Why 3I/ATLAS Matters
Whether natural or artificial, 3I/ATLAS gives researchers an unprecedented chance to:
- Test models of interstellar comet chemistry.
- Re-examine assumptions about how comets form in other star systems.
- Improve telescopic methods for detecting future interstellar visitors.
Mystery or Message?
3I/ATLAS is more than just another icy rock —it is a cosmic riddle. Its unexplained chemistry, absence of iron and strange dust behaviour set it apart from every known comet.
To some, like Avi Loeb, it might hint at an artificial origin —a potential interstellar probe built by advanced beings. To others, it is simply a rare natural comet that challenges our limited understanding of planetary formation.
As NASA and Chilean scientists continue to observe it with powerful instruments like James Webb, SPHEREx and Hubble, one thing is certain: 3I/ATLAS has already earned a place among the most mysterious visitors to our Solar System.
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