Interstellar Comet Borisov Shines in Incredible New Hubble Photos

Space.com ^ | 12/14/2019 | Chelsea Gohd

[BenLurkin]

In the first of these new images, taken on Nov. 16, the comet was approximately 203 million miles from Earth, seen in front of a distant spiral galaxy known as 2MASX J10500165-0152029, according to a NASA statement. You can see the comet's tail of dust up to the right. You can also see that the object's bright core looks smudged, as Hubble was imaging the object while also tracking its movement.

In both images, 2I/Borisov has been artificially colored blue so that details can be seen in the coma, or envelope of dust and material that surrounds the comet's core, or nucleus. This coloring also makes it easier to tell the comet apart from the spiral galaxy in the image from Nov. 16, according to NASA.

In the second image, taken Dec. 9, Hubble spotted the comet after it made its closest approach to the sun. On this close pass, 185 million miles (298 million kilometers) from Earth, 2I/Borisov reached speeds of 100,000 mph (160934 km/h).

2I/Borisov is a strange object that is likely no more than 3,200 feet (about 1 km) across... Scientists expect that the comet will make its closest approach to Earth later this month, in late December, as it passes at 180 million miles (290 million km) away.

[BenLurkin]

[blackdog]

It seems incredible has become the bombshell of the space geek squad reporting.

[PIF]

Scientists expect that the comet will make its closest approach to Earth later this month, in late December

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World to end in December, film at 11

[KarlInOhio]

Scientists expect that the comet will make its closest approach to Earth later this month, in late December, as it passes at 180 million miles (290 million km) away.

Scientists taken by complete surprise when Newtonian mechanics and Kepler's laws of motion take off tbe week of Christmas.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin.

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Pink Floyd - " Interstellar Overdrive " with Syd Barrett

[fella]

Definition of incredible

too extraordinary and improbable to be believed

I'm tired of the misuse of this word especially by our media.

[Redcitizen]

It’s incredible how this word has been misused. :)

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

Boris and Natasha in space. I love comets. First was Comet Mrkos 1957D, Aug. 1957, by naked eye, Bozman, Md.

[mowowie]

if is interstellar it would have been nice to have had obtained some material from it to study..

[Paul R.]

Thanks.

[I’d have to be “incredibly” messed up to dance to that music - don’t think I ever got there - it’d further away than the comet? :-) ...]

[SunkenCiv]

:^)

[SunkenCiv]

We'd have to have something already parked in Earth orbit, and it would have to be good to go, and would have to be really, really fast, and the calcs for intercept would have to be right on the nose. IOW, not as easy as one might like. :^) Since we've had two in a couple years, I'd not be surprised if we get more interstellar samples, soon, than we know what to do with, or care to have.

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The Cycle of Cosmic Catastrophes: Flood, Fire, and Famine in the History of Civilization by Richard Firestone, Allen West, and Simon Warwick-Smith

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