NASA's Hubble Space Telescope captured unprecedented data from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS during its November 30, 2025 solar flyby, tracking atomic nickel and iron emissions that offer clues about alien planetary systems. The observations provide a rare glimpse into the primordial ingredients that built worlds far beyond our solar system.

Astronomers tracked the evolution of these heavy elements both before and after the comet's closest approach to the sun, a feat previously achieved only once before with a solar system comet. The findings suggest that rocky planet building blocks may follow similar patterns across different stellar systems. This data helps scientists understand whether the universe uses a standard recipe for planet formation.

However, the comet's outer layers were significantly altered by solar radiation, complicating efforts to determine its original composition. Despite this processing, researchers are developing methods to decode the pristine materials from which 3I/ATLAS formed. The study represents a major step forward in understanding how planetary systems across the Milky Way galaxy assemble their worlds.