This article contains spoilers! Outer Wilds and Echoes of the Eye should be played with minimal spoilers, knowing too much will hinder the experience! Please play the game before reading any of this!

Interloper is a comet on a highly elliptical orbit around the sun. It is relatively small, but is fairly easy to land on. Due to the Interloper's lack of gravity in its interior, it would be advised to explore this comet on the highest part of its orbit or it is possible to be pulled away into the Sun. It is the newest celestial object in the solar system and is the origin of all Ghost Matter in the solar system.

Approximately 20 minutes into the cycle (2 minutes until the sun goes supernova) , the Interloper will collide with the sun and be destroyed.

Structure

The comet's exterior itself is made of two sections: The sun-facing side and the dark side.

The sun-facing side is aptly named, because it never faces away from the sun, no matter where the comet is on its irregular orbit. There is a chasm of ice etched into the surface of the comet that melts and opens up as it gets closer to the Sun, allowing the player to access the inside of the comet.

The dark side of the comet is encased in the glow of the comet's tail, which is completely harmless to the player and their ship. This side of the comet consists mostly of icy pillars, one of which has the Frozen Nomai Shuttle stuck inside.

The inside of the comet is filled with swirling passages of ice, which can make it difficult for the player to navigate. Some of these passages lead to Ghost Matter and instant death. These passages eventually lead to the Ruptured Core.

Locations

Frozen Nomai Shuttle

On the dark side of the comet lies the Frozen Nomai Shuttle, a craft that was manned by the three Nomai explorers known as Poke, Pye and Clary. The shuttle is inaccessible whilst it is trapped in ice upon The Interloper. However if the player visits the Gravity Cannon located on Ember Twin the shuttle can be recalled back to the launch pad, where the player can access the interior for more information about the explorers.

Ruptured Core

Deep within The Interloper lies the remains of what used to be the core of the comet. Inside of these remains can be seen crystals reminiscent of those found near pockets of Ghost Matter dotted around the solar system.

The corpses of Poke and Pye, two of the three Nomai explorers can be found near the Ruptured Core. Along with them, an audio recording can be found detailing that the core was filled with an "exotic" matter that would surely be hazardous to anyone touching it. They go on to say how the core is under immense pressure and should it break open, the entire solar system would be blanketed in this matter, potentially wiping out all life. The explorers were going to warn the rest of the Nomai but apparently failed to do so before the core ruptured due to its proximity to the Sun. The Ghost Matter released from the resulting explosion wiped out all Nomai in the solar system instantaneously before they ever had a chance to resume their search for the Eye of the Universe.

Texts and recordings

Notes

• It is recommended that players exploring the inside of The Interloper use the Scout Launcher's photo mode, frequently taking pictures to avoid sliding into the large amounts of Ghost Matter located within.

• Depending on how much time has elapsed, The Interloper might get very close to Giant's Deep during its orbit (on its second and third laps around the sun). If this happens while the player is on the surface of The Interloper the player and their ship will be pulled off by Giant's Deep with little hope of escaping its extremely strong gravity. This is because the Interoper is not affected by other planets' gravity, so it does not get pulled the same way as you.
• Because the Interloper’s gravity is so weak, the Sun can pull the player’s ship off of its surface and into space.
• The comet's ion tail is about 5 kilometers in length.
• To enter the Interloper, one must stand near the icy area on the sun-lit side and wait until it begins to melt due to proximity to the Sun.

Gallery

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  The Nomai Shuttle
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  Ice caves with a Nomai recording
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  The ruptured core