Tag: coma
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Comet 3I/ATLAS Flies Past Mars: ESA Captures Interstellar Visitor in Stunning Images
Interstellar Visitor 3I/ATLAS Makes a Close Mars Flyby The rare interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has once again captured the imagination of space enthusiasts and scientists alike as two European Space Agency (ESA) orbiters around Mars recorded fresh imagery during its closest approach to the Red Planet. Discovered as the third object known to originate from outside…
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Extreme NiI/FeI Abundance in 3I/ATLAS Comet’s Coma
Overview Emission lines from neutral nickel (NiI) and neutral iron (FeI) are commonly seen in the comae of solar system comets, even when the Sun’s heat is far from sublimating refractory materials. The interstellar journey of comets preserves chemical fingerprints from their parent systems, and recent work on the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS has highlighted an…