Never-before-seen comet on a trek toward the sun

[FfFfFfFF 58,371]

A week after astronomers noticed a new object in the sky, they've identified it as a comet.

This alien object was just designated as a comet Wednesday (June 23), only a week after astronomers first observed it as a tiny, moving dot in archival images from the Dark Energy Camera at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. The comet is now known as Comet C/2014 UN271, or Bernardinelli-Bernstein after its discoverers, University of Pennsylvania graduate student Pedro Bernardinelli and astronomer Gary Bernstein. 

The comet, which may be an impressive 62 miles (100 kilometers) wide, is 20 times the distance from Earth to the sun away, heading toward our blue dot. It will reach its closest point to the sun in its orbit on Jan. 23, 2031, when it will be just beyond the orbit of Saturn, or about 10.95 times the distance between Earth and the sun.

"We will have practically 20 years to study it," said Peter Vereš, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian and at the Minor Planet Center, which identifies and computes orbits for new comets, minor planets and other far-flung rocky bodies

The comet takes approximately 5.5 million years to complete its orbit, which is vertical to the plane of the planets, Minor Planet Center researchers have calculated. At its farthest point away, it's approximately a light-year from the sun. Based on its orbit, the comet is likely an emissary from a far-off, ice-cold region past the outer edges of the solar system known as the Oort Cloud.

Though the comet's history isn't certain, this newfound trek may be its first foray back into the solar system since its initial banishment, Vereš said. That's exciting, because the short-periodicity comets that circle within the solar system are significantly altered from their original form, baked and diminished by many rotations around the sun. 

https://www.livescience.com/new-comet-orbit-toward-earth

[A MESS 3,938]

looks like my Chromatica fanfic has a new chapter 

[TSUNAMI 21,297]

6 minutes ago, A MESS said:

looks like my Chromatica fanfic has a new chapter 

Cometatica 

[Sneaky Oliver 23,016]

How is it possible to get that close to Saturn and not get “caught” by its gravity? Also what would happen if a comet somehow hits the sun? 

[Magneto 13,557]

TURN AROUND!!

[CautiousLurker 19,725]

3 minutes ago, Sneaky Oliver said:

Also what would happen if a comet somehow hits the sun? 

Depends on where the comet hits the sun - if it hits the 'butt' of the sun, there will probably be profanity followed by some awkwardness... Needless to say, they won't be speaking to each other much afterwards 

[Kadikaado 4,302]

14 minutes ago, Sneaky Oliver said:

How is it possible to get that close to Saturn and not get “caught” by its gravity? Also what would happen if a comet somehow hits the sun? 

Since it's mostly ice it'll melt much before it gets close. It's like a grain of dust in comparision anyway.