3I/ATLASEvidence
Evidence · 3I/ATLAS
Nickel from 3.1 au, iron only inside 2.6 au
VLT spectra show neutral nickel at every epoch from 3.14 au and iron only inside 2.64 au, with the nickel-to-iron ratio falling from extreme to normal and total metal output at least ten times other comets'; carbonyl release fits best.
What it means
Key questionWhat is 3I/ATLAS made of, and why is its chemistry so unlike a Solar System comet's?
No answer ahead yet
Openunchanged
Part of itWhy did nickel vapour appear around 3I/ATLAS without iron, so far from the Sun?
2 answers, none ahead yet
Openunchanged
Answer this evidence bears onMetal carbonyls sublimating from the nucleus
Supports2 for, none against
Still possibleunchanged
What it implies
- The metals come from a carrier that sublimates far colder than dust grains release metal.For: Why did nickel vapour appear around 3I/ATLAS without iron, so far from the Sun?
- One of 3I's oddest features has a known chemical route.For the key question: What is 3I/ATLAS made of, and why is its chemistry so unlike a Solar System comet's?
Sources 3
SRC
SRC
Cite it
Mysteries Department. (2026). Nickel from 3.1 au, iron only inside 2.6 au [Evidence EVD0DFQ4JNJ6RZ0]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DFQ4JNJ6RZ0
@misc{mysteriesdept_evd0dfq4jnj6rz0,
title = {Nickel from 3.1 au, iron only inside 2.6 au},
author = {{Mysteries Department}},
year = {2026},
note = {Evidence, catalog key EVD0DFQ4JNJ6RZ0},
url = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/EVD0DFQ4JNJ6RZ0}
}