Or you don’t have time at all. ‘Oumuamuaa strange little object that visited our solar system in 2017, was discovered not before, but after, its closest approach to Earth. “Although ‘Oumuamua is an interstellar object and did not come from the Oort cloud, this proposition still holds true. Any of these objects could sneak up on us, leaving Earth vulnerable.
One way to prepare for these objects is to better understand their fundamental characteristics such as size and composition. Toward this end, my colleagues and I are working to characterize new long-period comets. The largest known bernardinelli bernsteinThe ruins, discovered just three years ago, are about 75 miles (120 kilometers) in diameter. Most known comets are much smaller, ranging from a mile to a few miles, and some even smaller comets are too bright to see. But a new telescope can help. In particular, the Rubin Observatory’s 10-year Space-time heritage investigationStarting in 2025, the list of known Oort Cloud comets, currently around 4,500, could double.
The unpredictability of these objects makes them difficult targets for spacecraft, but the European Space Agency is preparing a mission to do just that. comet interceptor. Launch is scheduled for 2029, and the spacecraft will remain parked in space until a suitable target emerges from the Oort cloud. Studying one of these ancient, primitive objects could provide scientists with clues about the origins of the solar system.
It’s safe to look up at comets that are currently close to Earth. Unlike the comet in the DiCaprio movie, these two don’t crash into Earth. The closest distance Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will reach us is about 44 million miles (70 million kilometers). C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), approximately 80 million miles (130 million kilometers). It sounds like a long way, but in space it’s a near miss.
james ray Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Georgia Tech
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