Largest Comet Ever Detected

A comet much larger than any discovered so far has been detected, according to a study published by New York’s Cornell University. The comet, named Bernardinelli-Bernstein, is thought to enter our solar system in about 10 years.

Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, thought to be 1,000 times larger than any star discovered so far, is at least 100 kilometers wide. It was previously thought to be a dwarf planet by astronomers, but with continued observations, it was realized that this giant celestial body was a comet.

Bernardinelli-Bernstein will settle outside Saturn’s orbit in 2031

The foundations of the project, which allowed us to detect this huge comet, were laid in 2013. A lot of important data was obtained in the study conducted between August 2013 and January 2019 by the Dark Energy Survey (DES), which examines the expansion of the universe. During the survey, astronomers mapped 300 million galaxies and beyond the orbit of Neptune. more than 800 predefined object discovered. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein was just one of these objects.

The most important reason for this comet to attract more attention is that it is 1000 times larger than any discovered so far and is rapidly moving towards the Solar System. Researchers had to make more detailed studies to understand that the object, which they previously thought to be a dwarf planet, was a comet.

Gary Bernstein, one of the researchers, said:We have the privilege of discovering perhaps the largest comet ever seen. We caught Bernardinelli-Bernstein early enough to watch its evolution as humans approach and transform“He said. According to the research, comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein will enter Saturn’s orbit in 2031. Currently, this comet is from the Earth, the distance between the Earth and the Sun. 29 times how far is it located. At the end of 10 years, this gigantic piece of rock, which will settle in the closest position it will be in, will enter orbit. Does not pose a threat to the world is stated.