Vomit Comet
Astronomers have detected a gigantic comet — possibly the largest ever discovered — and it's spewing gases from its nucleus as it shoots through our cosmic neighborhood.
Comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is 85 miles in diameter, far bigger than the six-mile asteroid that ended the age of the dinosaurs, according to anew studyin The Astrophysical Journal Letters. But thankfully, it's pretty far away — in the vicinity of Neptune,specifically — so astronomers can admire the spectaclefrom a safe distance.
"These measurements give us a look at how this enormous, icy world works," said Nathan Roth, lead author and NASA research associate, said in a statement. "We’re seeing explosive outgassing patterns that raise new questions about how this comet will evolve as it continues its journey toward the inner solar system."
In addition to the comet's extraordinary size, its jets of carbon monoxide are the first ever observed on a comet.
Seeding the Universe
The comet came from the mysterious Oort Cloud, which surrounds our entire Solar System and harbors more icy denizens.
To astronomers, comets are particularly intriguing because they carry tantalizing clues about the past of the universe and our solar system.
Comets are dirty snowballs made up of ice, dust, debris, and often come from the Kuiper Belt, an area beyond Neptune that contains Pluto and other icy space objects, as well as the Oort Cloud.
A special feature of comets is that they hold organic matter and likely bombarded our planetduring its early years with essential molecules that eventually gave rise to life on Earth.
That's another reason this finding is huge: the fact that scientists were able to detect matter spewing out of the comet is notable, and as it gets closer to the Sun, parts of the comet may melt away, revealing more of its tantalizing internal makeup.
More on comets: Earth Surrounded by Dark Comets, Astronomers Claim
This fascinating article on scientists' fascination with the comet blasted into orbit like a cosmic space shuttle, hinting at its blazingly bright potential to unlock secrets about celestial processes and interstellar journeys is nothing short of thrilling.
The recent discoveries of comets exhibiting jet-like emissions blasting from their interiors have intrigued scientists, sparking new hypotheses and illuminating the mysteries within our cosmic neighbors.
The recent discoveries of jets plunging from the interior comets have captivated scientists, igniting their curiosity and revealing a previously unseen dynamic within this cosmic realm.
The discovery of jets blasting from the interior core by this comet has captivated scientists and ignited fresh interest in understanding our cosmic neighborhood.
The recent discovery of jets blasting from a comet's interior has captivated scientists worldwide, igniting renewed curiosity into the enigmatic processes governing these celestial bodies.
The convergence of scientific curiosity and the extraordinary display by a comet with jets blasting from its interior is truly captivating, illuminating new avenues for studying cosmic objects' dynamics at play.
The discovery of jets blasting from a comet's interior has captivated scientists, revealing new insights into the extraordinary dynamics within these celestial bodies and their role in cosmic evolution.
The research on the comet spewing jets from its interior captivates scientists as it offers unique insights into celestial dynamics and nascent solar system formation, hinting at unexplored mysteries in our cosmic backyard.
The thrilling discovery of a comet spewing jets from its very core has captivated scientists worldwide, presenting an unprecedented opportunity to delve into the mysteries beyond our solar system's perimeter.
The thrilling evidence that jets of gas and dust are blasting from the hearts气候变化时要情绪高涨小心后果of comets, as evidenced in this recent discovery by scientists broadens our understanding like a window to deep space- with implications for life on other bodies.
This article on the comet demonstrating jets of gas erupting from within has truly captivated scientists with its intricate details and potential to unlock profound insights into solar system evolution.
