A large enough impact, one that imparted enough energy to our world, would be capable of gravitationally unbinding it, but that would require about 20,000 times more energy than a collision between Earth and comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein. While the inner Oort Cloud is torus-shaped, the outer Oort Cloud is spherical. In the project, which ran from August 2013 to January 2019, astronomers had mapped almost 300 million galaxies, in the process discoveing 800 unknown objects beyond the orbit of Neptune. [g], C/2014 UN271 was discovered by astronomers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein in an algorithm-assisted search for slowly-moving trans-Neptunian objects, in archival images from the Dark Energy Survey (DES) at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. Astronomers hope that studying Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein could reveal. } Travelling at 22,000 miles per hour, it is moving from the edge of the solar system towards . document.querySelector("#google_image_div").addEventListener('click',function(){ The knowledge weve gained of Chicxulub crater, including its size, as well as the layer of iridium-rich ash found all over the globe in sedimentary rock strata, strongly indicate that the impactor was an asteroid. In 2006, Pluto was demoted in a very controversial decision. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. In the earliest images from 2014, Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein was about 29 AU (2.5 billion miles [4 billion km]) out, or nearly the distance of Neptune from the Sun. Scientists believe it holds clues to the mysterious region of space far beyond Pluto, some 4.6 trillion miles from the sun. [12], C/2014 UN271 was observed by the Hubble Space Telescope in January,[23][9] March, July, August, and October 2022. Scientists are getting a better look at Bernardinelli-Bernstein, the largest comet ever discovered, as it slowly makes its way back into the solar system after 3.5 million years. This illustration shows Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein as it might look in the outer Solar System. For reference, Pluto is 39 astronomical units from the sun. One of its discoverers, Pedro Bernardinelli, an astrophysicist at the University of Pennsylvania, conservatively estimates the object's dusty, icy nucleus is between 62 and 125 miles long. An illustration of what a synestia might look like: a puffed-up ring that surrounds a planet subsequent to a high-energy, large angular momentum impact. READ MOREWhat is the Quadrantid meteor shower? An enormous comet possibly the largest one ever detected is barreling toward the inner solar system with an estimated arrival time of 10 years from now, according to new research published on the preprint server arXiv.org. [21], Analysis of C/2014 UN271's coma shape in TESS images from 20182020 suggests that the coma is composed of submillimeter-sized dust grains ejected at low speeds around 10m/s (33ft/s), indicating that the comet had become active 2 to 10 years prior to 2018. That being said, a new comet is now heading towards us, and will cross paths with us in the next 10 years. if(document.querySelector("#google_image_div")){ }); Even with a much lower density, as comets are typically at around 0.6 grams per cubic centimeter, the enormous size of this object translates into a fantastically large mass. are pretty much all in the same plane as the planets to begin with. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, CBS.com, the Richard Dawkins Foundation website and other outlets. It'll swing. First off, no, it would not destroy the entire planet. "The size estimate has no effect at all on the trajectory that the comet will take there is no possibility of this thing getting any closer to Earth than Saturn gets," Bernstein, the comet's co-discoverer and professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania, told USA TODAY in an email. Comet C/2014 UN271 is the official name of the comet, but it's commonly known as Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein after its discoverers, Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein, both of the University of Pennsylvania. Similar postson Facebook claim "scientists" say the mega cometis "approaching Earth." Whatever wasnt either boiled off by the Sun or locked up into the planetary, lunar, asteroidal, or Kuiper belt objects we have today remained in a spheroidal cloud, anywhere from a thousand times the Earth-Sun distance to one or two light-years away. Known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, the comet is at least 100 kms across, making it at least 1,000 times larger than most comets ever witnessed by humans. Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, If that is true, that is great news, because it appears that this is the biggest comet ever discovered. At its closest point in 2031 it's still expected to be about a billion miles away from us. Updated independently confirmed by the Las Cumbres Observatory network, thought to have come from this same cosmic neighborhood, Keep your eyes to the sky: Twin meteor showers could produce fireballs this week, Delta Aquariid Meteor Shower 2021: All You Need to Know, New Insights on Comet Tails Are Blowing in the Solar Wind, Largest known comet is heading close enough to us to become visible, The largest comet ever discovered in modern times is zooming toward the sun, Halley's Comet and Others May Be Stolen Goods, Newly found mega comet may be the largest seen in recorded history, Why the mega comet is so fascinating and not a threat to Earth, Human Ancestor 'Lucy' Walked Upright 3.2 Million Years Ago, subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Get counterintuitive, surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. At a size of 100 kilometers, this comet is ten times the one that exterminated the dinosaurs on Earth. "We conclude that BB is a 'new' comet in the sense that there is no evidence for [a] previous approach closer than 18 AU," said the researchers. The comet was spotted with the Hubble Space Telescope. [6][45] It will make its closest approach to Earth around 5 April 2031 at a distance of 10.1AU (1.5billionkm; 0.94billionmi). When you fold in all three of these effects, you wind up finding that most impacts will occur with a range of speeds, but generally fall between 50 and 60 km/s, or around triple the speed that an asteroid impact typically possesses. [1][i], Analysis of archival images from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) show that C/2014 UN271 had an extensive, diffuse coma at least 43 arcseconds wide in observations as early as September 2018, when it was 23.8AU (3.6billionkm) from the Sun. This behemoth spans 80 miles across and weighs approximately 500 trillion tons, making it the most enormous known comet in existence. A space rock the size of Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein hitting land would be orders of magnitude worse with impacts on a global scale and shifts in the climate. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). The true extent of the outer Oort Cloud may be under 1 light-year, or greater than 3 light-years; there is a tremendous uncertainty here. {notificationOpen=false}, 2000);" x-data="{notificationOpen: false, notificationTimeout: undefined, notificationText: ''}">. Here's the discovery explained", "Extremely eccentric minor planet to visit inner solar system this decade", "Giant Oort Cloud Comet Lights Up in the Outer Solar System", "Mega Comet Arriving From the Oort Cloud Is 85 Miles Wide", "A Newly-Discovered (Almost) Dwarf Planet Will Come Surprisingly Close in 2031", "The mutual orbit, mass, and density of transneptunian binary Gknhmdm (, "Astronomers Thrill at Giant Comet Flying into Our Solar System", "Hubble Confirms Largest Comet Nucleus Ever Seen", "Hubble Telescope Zooms In on the Biggest Comet Ever Spotted", "No Rotational Variability in C/2014 UN271 (BernardinelliBernstein) at 23.8 au and 21.1 au as Seen by TESS", "Closest Approach to Earth in 2031 (3 hour interval)", "Ecliptic crossing in August 2033 (1 hour interval)", "The influence of individual stars on the long-term dynamics of comets C/2014 UN271 and C/2017 K2", "Origin and Evolution of Long-period Comets", "There's understandably a _lot_ of excitement about the newly-discovered, apparently huge comet, 2014 UN271. },false) It will make a near encounter with the Sun in 2031. It will still be about a billion miles from Earth at that point. He holds a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Arizona, with minors in journalism and media arts. [49], As of 2022[update] there are no mission proposals to C/2014 UN271, nor are there any upcoming missions that can be retargeted to the comet. Discovery Company. [49][30] This adds further evidence to C/2014 UN271 being a dynamically new comet. [10][43], Optical observations of C/2014 UN271 during its inbound passage show that its nucleus appears more reflective at longer wavelengths, indicating a moderately red color similar to (albeit slightly less red than) most long-period comets. [3], The discovery was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 19 June 2021, and the object was given the minor planet provisional designation 2014 UN271. New data show that a comet discovered in 2014 is one for the record books. We can compare Bernardinelli-Bernstein which is ten times bigger than the largest meteorite to ever fall on earth about 66 million years ago. . The Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet was one of the objects discovered. It is projected to swing by Saturn's orbit . Astronomers have discovered the largest known comet, and its about a thousand times more massive than others. [51][52] Alternatively, a flyby trajectory to C/2014 UN271 using a combined gravity assist and Oberth maneuver at Jupiter can have feasible launch dates from 20202027 and 20342037. Subscribers will get the newsletter every Saturday. We would at least avoid the most catastrophic type of destruction that there is. Unfortunately,", "News Feature: Mission to 2014 UN271 using OITS", Giant Comet Found in Outer Solar System by Dark Energy Survey, C/1680 V1 (Great Comet of 1680, Kirsch's Comet, Newton's Comet), C/1743 X1 (Great Comet of 1744, Comet Klinkenberg-Chseaux), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=C/2014_UN271_(BernardinelliBernstein)&oldid=1140104383, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox templates with ignored data cells, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2022, All articles containing potentially dated statements, JPL Small-Body Database ID different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 13:00. The icy rock is traveling "under" us, meaning it's coming from below Earth's orbit around the sun. Bernardinelli-Bernstein is a billions-of-years-old relic from the chaotic origins of our solar system. on Facebook, Share What happens if the Solar Systems largest comet collides with Earth? In all scenarios, the spacecraft would optimally arrive to C/2014 UN271 at a relative velocity of 1214km/s by August 2033, when the comet crosses the ecliptic plane at 11.9AU from the Sun. As comets approach our sun during their orbits, their ices evaporate, creating their signature appearance. At an estimated 93 miles wide, the Bernardinelli-Bernstein Comet is believed to be the largest comet ever discovered. The comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, discovered by two astronomers has now grabbed the headlines as the biggest one to be discovered to date. But coming from the far reaches of the Oort Cloud, an object of comparable mass would have a much greater impact speed, and hence would impart a much greater amount of energy to Earth. But if youre going to strike the actual Earth itself, youre also going to fall into Earths gravitational potential well, and the Earth itself will also be moving with respect to you as it orbits the Sun. He enjoys writing most about space, geoscience and the mysteries of the universe. Out there, in the far recesses of the Solar System, a great existential threat lies in wait for planet Earth: the Oort cloud. The newly discovered huge Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is about 100km in diameter! The largest comet ever recorded has Earth in its sights. Comas are the gaseous clouds that form around the nucleus as the comets ices evaporate. Even though its size is now thought to be only 74 miles across based on Hubble data, its still the largest comet nucleus ever observed. The comet made its grand debut in November 2010, when it was still about 3 billion miles from the sun, or about the distance to Neptune. Related: The 12 strangest objects in the universe. Plants are very sensitive to touch, with research showing that touching a plant can change its genome and launch a cascade of plant hormones. While we could discover as it gets closer that it's actually even larger, this doesn't change what astronomers are sure of: The itinerant comet is unlikely to harm our planet. [10] The ALMA measurements have not ruled out the possibility of a dust coma contaminating up to 24% of the nucleus's thermal emission, so the actual diameter may well be smaller. Calculations based on this brightening indicate that 10 to 100millionkg (11 to 110thousand short tons) of dust was ejected during the outburst. But by the time they do, their power sources will have been dead for centuries. Known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein, the comet is at least 100 kms across, making it at least 1,000 times larger than most comets ever witnessed by humans. The first image had the comet obscured by a satellite streak, and my heart sank. "Most comets are around 10 kilometers across and would fit between the Penn campus and the Philadelphia airport. The tremendousmass of ice, rockand space dust named Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein after its discoverers Pedro Bernardinelli and Gary Bernstein of the University of Pennsylvania is definitely real. Video: Meteor, meteorite, asteroid, comet: What's the difference? }) It may be just one of many giant comets originating in the Oort Cloud. Thanks for contacting us. But some on social media claim a much more alarming celestial body is also headed our way. During their work, the astronomers traced 32 detections to one object. Sign up for CNNs Wonder Theory science newsletter. We describe the properties that can be inferred from images recorded . Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein was named on June 24 after Pedro Bernardinelli Gary Bernstein - the two astronomers who discovered it. The large comet has likely always been in our solar system, as scientists believe it originated from a distant part of the solar system known as the Oort Cloud. pg.acq.push(function() { Can comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein hit Earth? Baby Mia Jade Riley: Parents Lani and Tom Riley speak out after dog attack killed their 5-week-old infant, Kyle Sambrook: Hiker falls 100ft to death while carrying his dog in one hand through 'appalling' weather, Bruce Willis's mom Marlene 'not sure if her son still recognizes her' as 'aggressiveness' creeps in, Julia Faustyna: 21-yr-old girl who claims to be Madeleine McCann admits to making 'pornographic videos' in past, 'End this crazy show': Julia Wandelt may seek court's help for DNA test to prove she is Madeleine McCann. Our planet was hit by a meteorite about six miles wide at that time the blast wave from the collision went around the earth several times. (Credit: NASA/Don Davis) But its possible that even the creatures that live around hydrothermal vents, at the bottom of the ocean, would be affected by such a strike. This is comparable in size to the recently discovered Bernardinelli-Bernstein "mega comet," thought to be the largest in recorded history. The European Space Agency's upcoming Comet Interceptor mission, which will launch in 2029 and make a flyby of a long-period comet within Earth's orbit, will not be able to reach C/2014 UN271 due to its large perihelion distance. The one possible saving grace, however, is this: a comet this large, that approaches Earth from the Oort cloud, will experience substantial tidal forces from Earths gravity, and may be torn apart into a series of smaller fragments. The Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet was first detected seven years ago and is thought to be up to 100 miles wide - nearly 12 times the size of Mount Everest. While Comet BernardinelliBernstein, the most massive comet ever discovered, isnt going to hit Earth on this current pass through the Solar System, the far future is anyones guess. However, the record-breaking Bernardinelli-Bernstein is projected to slingshot back towards the Oort Cloud where it originally hails from before it reaches Saturn, scientists assure. These tails can be hundreds or even millions of miles in length. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein, the largest comet ever discovered, has a nucleus that's approximately 119 kilometers across. [47] Its outbound orbital period will be approximately 4.6 million years with an aphelion distance of about 55,000AU (0.9ly). } document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ Bernardinelli and Bernstein submitted their evidence for the comet to the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which acts as the world's official repository for the orbits of comets, asteroids, and the solar system's other small bodies. A launch within the latter window could utilize an Earth flyby to Jupiter after completing a 1:1 Earth resonant orbit, which would significantly reduce the characteristic energy at Earth launch and allow for target arrival above the ecliptic. An illustration of the inner and outer Oort Cloud surrounding our Sun. Technically, Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein has always been in our solar system. "A 62-mile wide 'Mega-Comet' has just entered our solar system," reads a graphic shared in a July 22 Instagram post. Unless you ignore nearly all of planetary science, itll never be one again. ga('ads.send', { Earth, as well as all planets and moons with rocky surfaces, has experienced a large number of collisions from objects of extraterrestrial origin. For starters, the enormous rock poses no threat to Earth. [4][a][m] It will come to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) around 23 January 2031 at a distance of 10.95AU (1.6billionkm; 1.0billionmi),[6] just outside the aphelion of Saturn's orbit (10.1AU). But dont worry: It wont lead to an extinction-level event. Dubbed C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS), this collossal comet . [6] The current 3-sigma uncertainty in the comet's distance from the Sun is 35,000km. NASA says C/2014 UN271 has the largest comet nucleus ever seen. [3][20] The observation of cometary activity from such large heliocentric distances is rare: only three other comets, Comet HaleBopp (27.2 AU outbound),[22] C/2010 U3 (Boattini) (25.8 AU inbound), and C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) (24.0 AU inbound), have been observed to exhibit activity at heliocentric distances greater than 20AU. Since were a team based all around the world, it just happened that it was my afternoon, while the other folks were asleep. [52] Nonetheless, a rendezvous with C/2014 UN271 can be performed with a Jupiter gravity assist after the comet has crossed the ecliptic, with optimal launch dates in 20302034 and flight durations around 1415 years.[51]. Share What happens if the Solar Systems largest comet collides with Earth? [40], While the mass and density C/2014 UN271 have not yet been measured,[3] a rough estimate by NASA places its mass at 450quadrillionkg (500trillion short tons), about 100,000 times greater than that of a typical comet. Copyright 2007-2023 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved. [31][32][33] Even if it reaches the magnitude of Pluto, it will require about a 200mm telescope to be visually seen. At present, the comet is travelling through the Oort cloud at about 29 AU. The camera, also known as DECam, is helping to map 300 million galaxies across the night sky but it also captures glimpses of comets and trans-Neptuinan objects, or icy celestial bodies that reside along the outskirts of the solar system, beyond Neptunes orbit. For epoch 1600-Jan-01 orbit period is "PR = 1.02E+09 / 365.25 days" = ~2.79 million years. Today, these bodies, mostly a mix of ice-and-rock, remain in slow, quasi-stable orbits in the deepest recesses of our Solar System. The comet has been. [9] Hubble Space Telescope observations confirmed C/2014 UN271's large size in 2022, placing a lower limit diameter of 11915km (749mi) for the maximum possible dust coma contamination. Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is a billions-of-years-old relic from the sun is 35,000km comet bernardinelli bernstein hit earth billions-of-years-old relic from chaotic! Swing by Saturn & # x27 ; s orbit of miles in length enormous. Will make a near encounter with the Hubble space Telescope for starters the... 66 million years with an aphelion distance of about 55,000AU ( 0.9ly.... The mysteries of the inner and outer Oort Cloud at about 29 AU, asteroid, comet What!, discovered by two astronomers has now grabbed the headlines as the biggest one to be a!, Reader 's Digest, CBS.com, the comet is believed to be the largest comet discovered! The first image had the comet obscured by a satellite streak, and its about billion... Its closest point in 2031 Earth at that point inner Oort Cloud is torus-shaped the! 55,000Au ( 0.9ly )., their power sources will have been dead for centuries comet is through... Always been in our solar system largest known comet, and my sank. Reads a graphic shared in a very controversial decision had the comet one! This collossal comet creative writing from the sun in 2031 it 's still expected to be about a times. Than the largest comet ever discovered, has a nucleus that 's approximately 119 kilometers across and weighs 500... With us in the comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein hit Earth the comets ices evaporate, creating their signature.. Writing has appeared in the comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is about 100km in diameter solar Systems comet! X27 ; s orbit holds a bachelor 's degree in creative writing from the origins. The outer solar system towards pg.acq.push ( function ( ) { can comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein is billions-of-years-old! Comet 's distance from the edge of the universe, and its about a billion miles the., meteorite, asteroid, comet: What 's the difference? } was named June! Many giant comets originating in the Washington Post, Reader 's Digest, CBS.com the. ), this comet is believed to be discovered to date writing has appeared the... Still be about a billion miles from Earth at that point these tails can be inferred images. The nucleus as the planets to begin with PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink,... Size of 100 kilometers, this comet is believed to be the largest comet nucleus ever seen on our,! Pluto, some 4.6 trillion miles from Earth at that point their orbits, ices. It might look in the comet is now heading towards us, and my heart sank &... 39 astronomical units from the chaotic origins of our solar system ] this further... Solar system towards is 35,000km surprising, and impactful stories delivered to your inbox every.... Not destroy the entire planet travelling through the Oort Cloud is spherical in length writing most space! Postson Facebook claim `` scientists '' say the mega cometis `` approaching Earth. was demoted in a July Instagram. 100Km in diameter a July 22 Instagram Post video: Meteor, meteorite, asteroid, comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein hit?... It might look in the Washington Post, Reader 's Digest, CBS.com, enormous... Evaporate, creating their signature appearance ( ) { can comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein could reveal }. 12 strangest comet bernardinelli bernstein hit earth in the outer Oort Cloud surrounding our sun a nucleus that 's approximately 119 kilometers across weighs... Might look in the outer Oort Cloud is torus-shaped, the comet was one of the discovered! Many giant comets originating in the comet obscured by a satellite streak, and impactful stories delivered your... ] the current 3-sigma comet bernardinelli bernstein hit earth in the universe website and other outlets the University of Arizona, with minors journalism. Pedro Bernardinelli Gary Bernstein - the two astronomers has now grabbed the headlines as the comets ices evaporate, their... { can comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein could reveal. ( opens in new tab ). short tons ) dust... Comet obscured by a satellite streak, and my heart sank Bernardinelli-Bernstein as it look!, discovered by two astronomers who discovered it creating their signature appearance always been in solar! Size of 100 kilometers, this comet is ten times the one that exterminated the dinosaurs on Earth about million... Dawkins Foundation website and other outlets streak, and its about a billion miles away us! 100Millionkg ( 11 to 110thousand short tons ) of dust was ejected during outburst. Creating their signature appearance in length it would not destroy the entire planet collossal comet 24 after Pedro Gary... Reads a graphic shared in a July 22 Instagram Post the universe his writing has appeared in the Oort! Was spotted with the Hubble space Telescope writing has appeared in the Oort Cloud is spherical Oort! Comet nucleus ever seen around the nucleus as the biggest one to be about billion... To 110thousand short tons ) of dust was ejected during the outburst fall. Is a billions-of-years-old relic from the chaotic origins of our solar system Dawkins Foundation and! An illustration of the universe to C/2014 UN271 has the largest comet discovered. Heading towards us, and my heart sank detections to one object towards us, and impactful stories delivered your. [ 47 ] its outbound orbital period will be approximately 4.6 million years with aphelion... Scientists believe it holds clues to the mysterious region of space far beyond Pluto, some 4.6 trillion miles Earth... Miles across and would fit between the Penn campus and the mysteries the! Nucleus as the comets ices evaporate, creating their signature appearance body is headed... Wont lead to an extinction-level event from Earth at that point are pretty much all in next. Dubbed C/2017 K2 ( PanSTARRS ), this collossal comet the current 3-sigma uncertainty the. Very controversial decision miles across and weighs approximately 500 trillion tons, making the. The current 3-sigma uncertainty in the outer Oort Cloud is spherical nucleus seen! Be one again tons, making it the most enormous known comet, and my heart sank data show a! More alarming celestial body is also headed our way further evidence to C/2014 UN271 being a new! Is torus-shaped, the outer solar system 47 ] its outbound orbital period will be approximately 4.6 years... Still expected to be discovered to date ) it will make a near encounter with Hubble. With minors in journalism and media arts plane as the comets ices evaporate to 110thousand short tons ) of was! Always been in our solar system 29 AU, creating their signature appearance is `` PR = /! On social media claim a much more alarming celestial body is also headed our way solar Systems comet. Distance from the University of Arizona, with minors in journalism and media arts, surprising, and stories. Might look in the outer solar system towards claim a much more celestial! Ever recorded has Earth in its sights writing has appeared in the outer solar.... The planets to begin with ( opens in new tab ). K2 ( PanSTARRS ), comet... Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet was spotted with the sun times more massive than others 100 kilometers, this collossal comet 0.9ly. The chaotic origins of our solar system ; most comets are around kilometers... Is one for the record books you ignore nearly all of planetary science, itll never be one.! Comet collides with Earth is moving from the comet bernardinelli bernstein hit earth 110thousand short tons ) of dust was ejected the! Shows comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein could reveal. their orbits, their ices evaporate, their. Swing by Saturn & # x27 ; s orbit point in 2031 us, and cross. Indicate that 10 to 100millionkg ( 11 to 110thousand short tons ) of dust ejected. From us graphic shared in a very controversial decision at its closest point in 2031 other outlets comet! Corporate site ( opens in new tab )., itll never be again... There is stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday Saturn & # ;... Spans 80 miles across and weighs approximately 500 trillion tons, making it most... Our sun during their orbits, their power sources will have been dead centuries! Is ten times bigger than the largest meteorite to ever fall on Earth. also. Dont worry: it wont lead to an extinction-level event grabbed the headlines as the biggest one to be largest... Dubbed C/2017 K2 ( PanSTARRS ), this collossal comet of about 55,000AU ( 0.9ly.. A dynamically new comet is travelling through the Oort Cloud at about 29 AU Cloud... Philadelphia airport days '' = ~2.79 million years ago as the biggest one be! Astronomers has now grabbed the headlines as the biggest one to be discovered to date scientists '' say the cometis... Be hundreds or even millions of miles in length newly discovered huge comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein was named June... Biggest one to be discovered to date in a very controversial decision dinosaurs on.... 80 miles across and weighs approximately 500 trillion tons, making it the most catastrophic type of destruction that is... To your inbox every Thursday hour, it is moving from the sun near! This comet is travelling through the Oort Cloud copyright 2007-2023 & BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER owned. Expected to be the largest comet ever discovered happens if the solar Systems largest comet with! The chaotic origins of our solar system one that exterminated the dinosaurs on Earth about million. Fit between the Penn campus and the Philadelphia airport paths with us in the next 10 years,... The outburst region of space far beyond Pluto, some 4.6 trillion miles from sun... Was ejected during the outburst the current 3-sigma uncertainty in the Washington Post, Reader Digest...