More than 150 kilometers across – this is the size of a comet that flew into the solar system and is heading towards the sun. The size was determined by astronomers looking after the heavenly wanderer. They saw that the comet – more precisely, the mega-comet – increased its brightness, starting to emit gases, forming a coma and a tail.
The mega-comet C / 2014 UN271, aka Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, was discovered, in fact, three months ago, but its first image appeared back in 2014 during a sky survey by the Dark Energy “(Dark Energy Survey). At first, the “find” was mistaken for a small planet, but then they realized that it was still a comet. Astronomers emphasize: it is almost 7 times larger than Phobos, the satellite of Mars.
Comet C / 2014 UN271, as scientists now believe, were pushed out of the Oort Cloud – a giant bubble that surrounds the solar system and filled with billions of fairly large ice and rocks.
From the calculations cited by the Daily Mail, it follows that the mega-comet will be at its minimum distance from the Sun in January 2031. It will not cross the Earth's orbit – it will fly no closer than the orbit of Saturn. At this time, astronomers will take a closer look at the heavenly wanderer and predict her future fate.
It seems that monsters the size of C / 2014 UN271 did not fall on Earth – at least during the time when life was already born on it. After the collision, there would be no life left.
However, from the Oort cloud any other comet – of the same monstrous size – can fly out at any moment and rush to the Earth. Astronomers do not exclude this possibility. And it is believed that the Oort cloud regularly replenishes the number of comets that circulate through the solar system and sometimes fall on planets. Leave giant craters.
Full Screen 1 of 3 SLIDES 2 of 3 SLIDES 3 of 3 SLIDES 3 of 3 SLIDES
