Cosmic Comet
A frozen harbinger of extinction that ended the Nomai civilization.
The Interloper is an icy comet that enters the Outer Wilds planetary system on a long elliptical orbit. Unlike other celestial bodies, it contains a highly pressurized source of "ghost matter," a lethal and invisible substance. The Nomai discovered the Interloper while investigating the system, but before they could warn others, the ghost matter ruptured and spread throughout the system, killing all of the Nomai. The Interloper remains in the system, orbiting the sun, and can be explored by the Hatchling during the time loop.
Reader's Guide
It contains a highly pressurized source of "ghost matter," a lethal and invisible substance. The Hatchling can explore the Interloper during the time loop, but must be cautious of the ghost matter, which can kill them if they come into contact with it. The Interloper's orbit brings it close to the sun, and it can be reached by flying the spacecraft to its location. The Interloper is not directly involved in the time loop mechanics or the Eye of the Universe, but its history is crucial to understanding the extinction of the Nomai.
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Elsewhere in Outer Wilds
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