Astronomers are abuzz after detecting a massive interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, streaking through the solar system—an anomaly roughly the size of Manhattan and unlike anything seen before. First captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in July, 3I/ATLAS has stunned researchers with its strange chemical profile. Instead of the typical icy tail of a comet, it’s releasing a metallic plume toward the Sun at a staggering rate of 330 pounds per second—containing four grams of pure nickel per second but no iron, an impossible ratio under natural cosmic conditions. Recent readings from Hawaii’s Keck II telescope identified the presence of nickel tetracarbonyl—a highly refined, toxic compound found only in industrial metal processing—while data from NASA and the James Webb Space Telescope confirmed the phenomenon.

Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb has called the findings “unprecedented,” noting that such chemical refinement has never been detected in a natural object. Loeb, who has long theorized that some interstellar visitors may carry traces of advanced technology, questions whether 3I/ATLAS could be artificial. The object’s behavior defies expectations—it lacks a typical tail and instead ejects material toward the Sun. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reportedly captured close-up images during its recent flyby, but the agency’s communications blackout has delayed their release. As scientists await the data, 3I/ATLAS glows an eerie green, racing deeper into the solar system—a reminder that the universe still holds mysteries that challenge both our science and our imagination. Whether natural marvel or engineered messenger, this interstellar enigma may mark a turning point in how humanity views the cosmos.

SOURCE: The Daily Galaxy