Comet 2I / Borisov is the second interstellar physical object that we have caught visiting the Solar System and thanks to Hubble we now have the best view of it yet . The image highlights the tail assembly and the cold comatoseness around the nucleus , which , at 1 kilometre ( 0.6 miles ) across , is too small to be seen by the outer space telescope .
The comet was discovered on August 30 , 2019 , by Crimean astronomerGennady Borisov(and named after him ) . The discovery comes two class after astronomer spotted ‘ Oumuamua , an interstellar asteroid that whizz through the Solar System .
" Whereas ' Oumuamua look to be a rock and roll , Borisov is really active , more like a normal comet . It ’s a puzzle why these two are so dissimilar , " leader of the Hubble team David Jewitt of the University of California , Los Angeles ( UCLA ) , said in astatement .
The law of similarity between Comet Borisov and comets in our own Solar System is quite striking . snub its eye socket and speed , it could easy make it for one of ours . Its similarity to our comets have been remark upon follow several observation and in a recentNature Astronomy newspaper . However Borisov formed , it seems the processes that lead to comet must be relatively plebeian .
" Though another star organisation could be quite different from our own , the fact that the comet ’s properties appear to be very similar to those of the Solar System ’s building blocks is very remarkable , " said Amaya Moro - Martin of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore , Maryland .
Hubble shoot the comet when it was about 420 million kilometers ( 260 million miles ) forth . It is still make closer and bright but it ’s so speedy ( move at 180,000 kilometers/110,00 miles per hour ) that its trajectory is not majorly involve by the Sun .
Hubble and many other telescopes will keep an eye on the comet as it continues to move through the Solar System . It should stay visible to our observatory until the first months of 2020 , although notice might be extended .
" Modern comet are always unpredictable , " said Max Mutchler , another member of the honor squad . " They sometimes brighten suddenly or even begin to fragment as they are disclose to the acute heat of the Sun for the first clock time . Hubble is poised to monitor whatever chance next with its superscript sensibility and solving . "
Comet Borisov will hand its unaired point to the Sun on December 7 , when it will be roughly 300 million kilometers ( 190 million miles ) from our star .
