ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Hubble spots our second interstellar visitor — a comet

"It's traveling so fast it almost doesn't care that the Sun is there."

Alexandru MicubyAlexandru Micu
October 18, 2019
in News, Science, Space
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Despite their violent impacts, asteroids could still deposit water on Earth
First full colour image of Comet 67P captured by Rosetta probe; meanwhile, Philae lost a leg
Earth may have ‘mini-moons’ that could answer some interesting astronomy
Rosetta comet landing – watch it as it happens! [live blog]

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has just taken a peek at the second interstellar object to visit the solar system — a comet.

Image credits NASA / ESA / J. DePasquale (STScI).

Based on its current speed and trajectory, 2I/Borisov likely came from outside our solar system. It is the second such object after the asteroid ‘Oumuamua (identified in 2017). However, the two are very different beasts — while ‘Oumuamua was a rocky, solid body, 2I/Borisov is a comet. The image taken by Hubble is the best look we’ve had at 2I/Borisov so far and reveals a body of dust around a central core (which is too small to be seen in the image).

It cometh second

Whereas ‘Oumuamua appeared to be a rock, Borisov is really active, more like a normal comet. It’s a puzzle why these two are so different,” said David Jewitt of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), leader of the Hubble team who observed the comet.

Being the second interstellar object we’ve found so close to home, researchers are very keen to study the properties and nature of 2I/Borisov. Its chemical composition, structure, and the dust around it are products of its host star system and can teach us about how they form. We won’t know for sure without further observation, but so far, the comet’s properties appear to be very similar to those in the Solar System.

The comet was 260 million miles from Earth when Hubble took its picture. It is on a hyperbolic path around the Sun, currently moving at around 110,000 miles per hour. Its closest approach will be on Dec. 7, 2019, when it will be twice as far from the Sun as Earth. By mid-2020, NASA adds, it will make its way past Jupiter and onto interstellar space.

“It’s traveling so fast it almost doesn’t care that the Sun is there,” said Jewitt.

2I/Borisov was first discovered by Crimea-based amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov on Aug. 30, 2019. After a week of observations, the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center and the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, confirmed that it came from interstellar space. Future Hubble observations of 2I/Borisov are planned through January 2020, with more being proposed.

Tags: asteroidcometinterstellar

ShareTweetShare
Alexandru Micu

Alexandru Micu

Stunningly charming pun connoisseur, I have been fascinated by the world around me since I first laid eyes on it. Always curious, I'm just having a little fun with some very serious science.

Related Posts

News

An Asteroid Might Hit the Moon in 2032 and Turn It Into a Massive Fireworks Show from Earth

byTibi Puiu
2 weeks ago
News

Dinosaurs Were Doing Just Fine Before the Asteroid Hit

byTibi Puiu
2 months ago
News

A Meteor Crashed Into Mars and Sent Shockwaves Racing Across the Planet. It Apparently Happens More Often Than We Thought

byTibi Puiu
4 months ago
News

Astronomers Thought They Had Found A Dangerous Asteroid Near Earth — It Was Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster

byTibi Puiu
5 months ago

Recent news

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

July 4, 2025

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

July 4, 2025

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

July 4, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.