Interstellar object caught emitting mysterious metal that suggests ‘technological origin’

An interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, has been spotted emitting nickel without iron—a behavior never seen in natural comets. Detected by Chile’s Very Large Telescope, the object sheds nickel and cyanide at unusual rates, with emissions rising sharply as it nears the Sun. Unlike typical comets, it is carbon dioxide–rich, water-poor, and appears to lack a visible tail. Harvard physicist Avi Loeb suggests the nickel signature could hint at an artificial origin, while most scientists argue it reflects unusual but natural processes.