""extremely valuable for us,""
""It was pretty clear that it was nickel,""
""So it was super, super exciting.""
An ancient interstellar comet, 3I/ATLAS, entered the solar system and presented a rare observational opportunity. Observers detected nickel vapor in the comet's surrounding gas at nearly four astronomical units from the Sun, where temperatures are normally too low for metals to vaporize. International observing teams coordinated measurements and identified the nickel signature with high confidence. The presence of gaseous nickel at such a large distance implies unusual compositional or release mechanisms and suggests exposure of ancient materials that may predate the solar system. Further observations and analysis are required to determine the processes that produced the nickel gas and to constrain origins.
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