A new study by a Belgian team using data from the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) has shown that iron and nickel exist in the atmospheres of comets throughout our Solar System, even those far from the Sun. A separate study by a Polish team, who also used ESO data, reported that nickel vapour is also present in the icy interstellar comet 2I/Borisov. This is the first time heavy metals, usually associated with hot environments, have been found in the cold atmospheres of distant comets.
The release, images and videos are available on:
https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2108/
Kind regards,
The ESO Department of Communication
19 May 2021
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Emma Foxell
Juan Carlos Muñoz Mateos
7 May 2021: Besides building and operating world-class telescopes, ESO trains the next generation of astronomers via its Studentship Programme. By bringing together astronomers, engineers and other professionals from multiple countries, ESO provides ...
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