Newfound comet likely an 'interstellar visitor,' scientists say

[webfact]

Newfound comet likely an 'interstellar visitor,' scientists say

By Joey Roulette

 

Comet C/2019 Q4 is imaged by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Hawaii's Big Island September 10, 2019. NASA/JPL/Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope/Handout via REUTERS

 

(Reuters) - A newly discovered comet hurtling towards the orbit of Mars has scientists scurrying to confirm whether it came from outside the solar system, a likely prospect that would make it the second such interstellar object observed in our planetary neighbourhood.

 

The trajectory of the comet, first detected by Crimean astronomer Gennady Borisov, follows a highly curved path barrelling in the sun's direction at unusually high speeds, evidence that it originated beyond the solar system.

 

"On our team we've been scrambling here at the University of Hawaii to get observations to make position measurements," said Karen Meech, an astronomer at the university whose team concluded that the object's size and tail of gas classify it as a comet.

 

"Every time a new comet is discovered, everybody starts to try and get data so that you can get the orbit," Meech told Reuters, adding that her researchers "all are 100 percent convinced that this really, truly is interstellar."

 

The comet, an apparent amalgam of ice and dust, is expected to make its closest approach to the sun on Dec. 8, putting it 190 million miles (300 million km) from Earth, on a route believed unique to such objects of interstellar origin.

 

Once confirmed interstellar, the comet - dubbed C/2019 Q4 by astronomers - would become only the second such body ever observed by scientists.

 

The first was a cigar-shaped comet dubbed 'Oumuamua - a name of Hawaiian origin meaning a messenger from afar arriving first - that sailed into our planetary neighbourhood in 2017, prompting initial speculation that it may have been an alien spacecraft. Astronomers soon reached a consensus that it was not.

 

Unlike ‘Oumuamua, which visited the solar system for only a week, the newfound comet will linger near Mars' orbit for almost a year, giving scientists ample time to characterize its chemical signatures and seek further clues about its origin. 

 

"The high velocity indicates not only that the object likely originated from outside our solar system, but also that it will leave and head back to interstellar space," said Davide Farnocchia, an astronomer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.

 

(Reporting by Joey Roulette in Washington; Editing by Steve Gorman and Leslie Adler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-13

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[pegman]

Here come the tin foil hat crowd. 

[UnkleGoooose]

Have you seen the price of tin foil lately!!??

[Monkeyrobot]

Why do Thai people refer to us Farang as the Aliens? The Alien shall report to immigration every 90 days. 

[tifino]

21 minutes ago, Monkeyrobot said:

Why do Thai people refer to us Farang as the Aliens? The Alien shall report to immigration every 90 days. 

lively aliens always return again and again...

 

a farang fruit drops off the tree, and rots where it lays

[JimmyTheMook]

Rumor is there have been millions of other civilizations similar to humans that died off well before they discovered the technology for interspace travel.

 

#infants  

[RichardColeman]

I'm not worried, Alien intruders or Dinosaurs , Jeff Goldblum will save us.

[Srikcir]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

the comet - dubbed C/2019 Q4 by astronomers - would become only the second such body ever observed by scientists.

Oumuamua wasn't a comet and if C/2019 Q4 is structurally similar, it isn't a comet either. 

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/181-What-is-the-difference-between-an-asteroid-and-a-comet-

 

[Catoni]

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Oumuamua wasn't a comet and if C/2019 Q4 is structurally similar, it isn't a comet either. 

http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/ask/181-What-is-the-difference-between-an-asteroid-and-a-comet-

 

     Did you read the whole post? 

 Quote:

         “...Karen Meech, an astronomer at the university whose team concluded that the object's size and tail of gas classify it as a comet.”

   Oumuamua was an elongated solid object with no dust and gas tail being blown off by the solar wind. 

    This object apparently has a gas/dust tail already forming. 

   Ergo....a comet. But what makes it unusual is that with it’s speed and trajectory, it appears it’s not one of our local comets from the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt. Looks like it’s from interstellar space like Oumaumua was....originating from another star system. 

[Somtamnication]

God, please drop by Phuket and take me away!

[PatOngo]

13 hours ago, Monkeyrobot said:

Why do Thai people refer to us Farang as the Aliens? The Alien shall report to immigration every 90 days. 

Because we don't originate from Planet Thailand!

[bendejo]

Uh-oh, I think my parents are coming to look for me!

 

 

[rabas]

11 hours ago, Catoni said:

    This object apparently has a gas/dust tail already forming. 

   Ergo....a comet. But what makes it unusual is that with it’s speed and trajectory, it appears it’s not one of our local comets from the Oort Cloud or Kuiper Belt. Looks like it’s from interstellar space like Oumaumua was....originating from another star system. 

 

Tail, ... or matter from a propulsive braking system.

 

Oumaumua passed by Earth and went on it's way, though there was discussion of it accelerating on its way out. Borisov may be is coming to stay. Perhaps they didn't like what Oumaumua saw. Can't have TM30 is the local star group.

 

 

Oumaumua: the movie.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Comet_20171025-16_gif.gif

 

[DrTuner]

If it passes over Thailand, remember to file TM6 at border, TM30 at every hamlet along the way and the comet must come down to do TM28's every 24 hours. If it crashes here, it's TM47 time after 90 days. TMTMTMTMTMTMTMTMThailaaaaan.

[ballpoint]

On 9/13/2019 at 5:33 PM, Monkeyrobot said:

Why do Thai people refer to us Farang as the Aliens? The Alien shall report to immigration every 90 days. 

Yes, those racist Thais.  And making us report our address too.  Oh, hang on...

 

 

In law, an alien is a person who is not a citizen or national of a given country, though definitions and terminology differ to some degree depending on the continent or region of the world. The term "alien" is synonymous to "foreign national"

 

 

[annabel]

A good more or less realistic view Of this possibility is in the book called ...PANDORA STAR'S BY PETER HAMILTON ... A MUST READ AND SO REALLY REAL ....

[bendejo]

Phobos, a moon of Mars, is interesting.  It is believed to be partially hollow, is there something going on inside?  Do a search on "phobos incident" for more info.

 

And for entertainment purposes check out Vonnegut's "Sirens of Titan."  This book reveals the secret of our existence on Earth.  ????

 

 

[DrTuner]

11 hours ago, bendejo said:

Phobos, a moon of Mars, is interesting.  It is believed to be partially hollow, is there something going on inside?  Do a search on "phobos incident" for more info.

 

And for entertainment purposes check out Vonnegut's "Sirens of Titan."  This book reveals the secret of our existence on Earth.  ????

Leather goddesses of Phobos. Those that sniffed the scent bubbles know. 

[Solinvictus]

Maybe it can come hit the citizens that are brainwashed by that tv box in favor of corporations and the weatlhy's agendas..????