Heavenly visitor: a new big comet flies into our solar system! | The Weather Channel

From mysterious things among the stars like Oumuamua, to many non-unique space rocks – large numbers of celestial bodies are constantly visiting our celestial backyard, the Solar System. While many of them are missed by the inhabitants of Earth due to their great numbers and the great distances between them, some important objects still manage to catch our attention from time to time.

–

Now, one of these extraordinary objects is seen lurking at the edge of our solar system, and only this object looks like a comet much larger than an ordinary comet!

Described as a “giant comet”, this visitor is estimated to be between 100 and 370 kilometers wide. In fact, this size also brings it closer to a small region of the planet.

Astronomers identified this object through the results of the Dark Energy Survey, which captured astronomical data between 2014 and 2018. The giant comet has since been named 2014 UN271.

While the object itself is strange, its orbit is even stranger. Analysis revealed that one end of the massive comet’s orbit is close to our sun, while the other end extends into the Oort cloud – the disk of oceanic dust and gas that is the farthest region from the sun. system.

Due to the enormous distance between these two endpoints, the object takes 6,12,190 years to complete one complete orbit!

–

Currently, 2014’s UN271 is located about 22 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun, with one unit equal to the distance between Earth and our host star. In the last seven years, he has traveled the same distance from the African Union every year.

According to citizen scientists’ estimates, the comet will reach about 10.9 AU from the Sun in 2031. Therefore, as quickly as possible, it will approach Saturn’s orbit before turning backwards and returning to the outer edge of the Sun. system.

Because its closest point is still so far away, it is impossible to catch a glimpse of this massive comet from Earth without using a telescope. Even with a telescope, it will likely be as bright as Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, in the night sky.

**

For weather, science and COVID-19 updates on the go, download weather channel app (On Android and iOS Store). Free!

–