Astronomers find a large comet facing the sun


Diagram of a comet seen from Earth. | Denise Polybows / Reuters

A large and hitherto unknown stellar object is approaching Earth from the distance of the solar system, and astronomers estimate that it will make its closest approach when it orbits Saturn in 2031.

To Art

Kristen 2014 UN 271, a large celestial body discovered by the International Cooperation Dark Energy Survey (DES) program, may be the largest detector approaching the sun.

The discovery was announced on June 19, thanks to data provided by the Minor Planets Electronic Circulars (MBEC) program from NASA’s Financial Research Center. According to scientists spread across social networks, the asteroid body made of rock and ice is 100 to 370 kilometers in diameter.

According to data analyzed in recent years, matter moved from 23 AU to 20 AU between 2014 and 2018 (an AU or astronomical unit is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun). Bernardinelli, astronomer at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), released a pixelated image of the object.

For his part, astronomer Sam Dean suggested that as the 2014 UN271 approaches the Sun, it will begin to show its characteristic comet tail, and will be “impressively bright” as it approaches its approach.

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Updated several times, the “megacometer” orbit is very rare, especially since it takes nearly 6,000 years for distant peaks to end. In terms of its size, it is also believed to be one of the largest objects in the Earth Cloud, leading some scientists to compare it to a dwarf planet.

After entering Saturn’s orbit at 10.1 AU, 2014 UN271 will begin to return to the outer cloud at the outer edges of our solar system.

Misty Tate

"Freelance twitter advocate. Hardcore food nerd. Avid writer. Infuriatingly humble problem solver."

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