Comets are icebergs that have existed since the formation of the Solar System. When these objects approach the Sun, some of the ice layer on them melts and some pieces break away from it and form its tail.
These celestial bodies have always been the focus of attention since the beginning of human history. People through different ages to comets has given different meanings. Today, these celestial bodies continue to be researched. Tuesday, April 12 Hubble Space Telescope discovered by the new comet far beyond anything seen so far.
Philae Landing on Comet Awakens!
The biggest comet ever!
C/2014 UN271 It was understood that the comet, named so, had a core of about 130 km in diameter. The new comet, which surprises with its size, is about 30 km larger than the other comet that came after it.
The space agency estimates that the core of C/2014 UN271 is approximately larger than most other known comets. 50 times He said it was bigger. At the same time, the weight of this comet 500 trillion tons is said to be attainable. This figure is the mass of a typical comet. hundred thousand fold more.
NASA Also, the huge ball of ice and dust 35 thousand km / h that it is rapidly moving through the solar system. However, stating that there is nothing to worry about, NASA added that the comet does not have a chance to approach Earth. The massive comet will be closest to the Sun in 2031.
David Jewitt, professor of planetary science and astronomy at the University of California, used the following statements about the comet:
This comet is literally the tip of the iceberg. There are thousands of comets in the farther parts of the Solar System that are too faint to see. We always thought this comet was quite large because, despite being quite distant, it was very bright. We can now confirm that it is.
The team found that C/2014 UN271 is located in a remote part of our solar system and trillions of comets thinks it has emerged from the Oort Cloud, which is believed to contain It is also underlined that there are much larger comets in this cloud system.
So what do you think about comets? You can share your views with us in the comments section or on the SDN Forum.