Comets are not like little stars with a bit of tail that they look like from down here on Earth. An average-sized comet, which is essentially a cosmic snowball, is approximately 10 km in diameter. But there are a few exceptions to this rule, like the record-breaking Hale-Bopp, which was dubbed the ‘Great Comet’ back in 1997 because it spanned a diameter of 30 km.
In 2014, astronomers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein discovered a celestial object and classified it as a dwarf planet. However, the body was later reclassified as a comet, after it showed signs of activity. Now, scientists have found that this mega-comet, named the Bernardinelli-Bernstein Comet, has a diameter of 160 km. In comparison, the Hale-Bopp comet, which was dubbed the ‘Great Comet’ back in 1997, has a 30 km diameter and less than 10 times the mass.
Now, scientists from the International Dark Energy Survey Project have determined that the new mega comet, named Comet C/2014 UN271. It has a diameter of 160 km. Its mass is more than ten times the mass of the Hale-Bopp, and it’s currently heading towards our solar system. A decade from now, in 2031, this mega-comet will pass through our solar system and will most likely brush Saturn’s orbit.
Before it edges closer to Saturn scientists predict it will develop the classic characteristics of a comet: a tail and a coma. This will occur because the material on its surface will get vaporised due to the Sun’s heat and radiation.
