Giant comet found in outer solar system The discovery of the comet estimated to 100-200 kilometers across was made by Penn researchers following a comprehensive search of data from the Dark Energy Survey. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is the most distant comet ever discovered and possibly the largest seen in modern times. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein (circled) is estimated to be about 1000 times more massive than a typical comet, making it arguably the largest comet discovered in modern times. It was discovered using images for the Dark Energy Survey (DES) by the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera (DECam) at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. These images show the comet in October 2017, when it was 25 au away, 83% of the distance to Neptune. (Image: Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Bernardinelli & G. Bernstein (Penn)/DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys)
Giant Comet Found in Outer Solar System by Dark Energy Survey
Estimated to be 100–200 kilometers across, the unusual wandering body will make its closest approach to the Sun in 2031
Dark Energy Survey/DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/P. Bernardinelli Array G. Bernstein (UPenn)/DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys. Music by Zero-project :Through the Looking Glass (zero-project.gr) Acknowledgments: T.A. Rector, M. Zamani & J. Miller
Zooming on Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein. This zoom shows an image from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) composed of some of the discovery exposures showing Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein collected by the 570-megapixel Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on the Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) in Chile.
Thought to be a rare long-period comet that swings into the inner Solar System from the distant Oort Cloud, C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is an incredible find.
Gigantic Comet or Minor Planet? Radically Exceptional Giant Flies Through Solar System sputniknews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sputniknews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
ESA to live tweet asteroid impact exercise
For almost a decade, world asteroid experts have been meeting every two years at the Planetary Defense Conference and pretending an asteroid impact is imminent. Why? To prepare for the unlikely – but plausible – scenario in which this comes true.
For the second time in the conference s history, this major international asteroid impact exercise will be covered live via ESA social media, primarily via the @esaoperations in Twitter, highlighting the actions that might be taken by scientists, space agencies and civil protection organisations.
Planetary Defense Conference goes digital
This year’s conference is hosted by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, UNOOSA, in cooperation with ESA and under the umbrella of the International Academy of Aeronautics (IAA). Many other space agencies and organisations are also involved, including NASA, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advis