The International Astronomical Union has confirmed that the comet spotted a few week ago by recreational stargazer Gennady Borisov from MARGO Observatory , Crimea , is indeed coming from interstellar quad . This is only the secondly cognise interstellar aim to pass through our Solar System ( the first was ‘ Oumuamua ) .
Since it wasfirst observed on August 30 , astronomers have been cut across the comet ’s orbit in point . It is now percipient that the comet is a visitant from another star . The Union has also officially give it a name : 2I / Borisov . 2I stands for second interstellar object and , afford that it is distinctly a comet , they kept the custom of naming it after the spotter .
2I / Borisov was let on when it was over 400 million kilometre ( 250 million miles ) from the Sun – and it is only getting closer . It will progress to its aphelion on December 8 , when it will be roughly 300 million kilometers ( 190 million miles ) aside . That ’s about twice the Earth - Sun aloofness . It is move with a speed of about 150,000 km ( 93,000 international nautical mile ) per hr and coming toward the inner Solar System at a 40 - academic degree angle with regard to the orbital plane of the Earth . Its orbit , orientation , and the fact that the comet is much quicker than any known Solar System object at that length were the initial clues that lead researchers to mistrust the comet was interstellar .
TheGran Telescopio Canariashas obtained the light spectrum of the object , from which they were able to establish its composition . It turn out that it is n’t much dissimilar from comets that formed in the Oort Cloud , the region far beyond the orbit of Pluto . Formations of comets in other asterisk systems are likely to be similar to our own .
Astronomers have not yet been able-bodied to value its sizing precisely but current estimates fromNASAput the comet ’s nucleus at between 2 and 16 kilometers ( 1.2 and 10 statute mile ) across . While this is only the second get it on interstellar object to pass by , it likely wo n’t be the last . Estimates suggest that at any given point there is at least one within the ambit of Mars . Unfortunately , most of them are too pocket-size and faint to be discovered .
