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 have attributed different meanings to comets during different ages. Today, these celestial bodies continue to be investigated. The new comet detected by the Hubble Space Telescope on Tuesday, April 12, is far beyond anything seen so far.
Biggest comet ever! The comet, named
C/2014 UN271, was found to have 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.
Space agency, C/2014 UN271’s core is the other known comet He said it was about 50 times larger than most stars. At the same time, it is stated that the weight of this comet can reach 500 trillion tons. This figure is a hundred thousand times greater than the mass of a typical comet.
NASA also found that the huge ball of ice and dust is moving through the solar system at a speed of 35,000 km/h. Stating that there is nothing to worry about, NASA added that the comet has no 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 thinks C/2014 UN271 originated in the Oort Cloud, a distant region of our solar system believed to contain trillions of comets. 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.
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