Hubble Telescope Captures Images of First Confirmed Interstellar Comet
The Hubble Space Telescope captures stunning images of 2I/Borisov, the first confirmed comet from outside our solar system. The object travels at such extreme speeds that it simply passes through our cosmic neighborhood without returning.
The Hubble Space Telescope captures amazing images of 2I/Borisov, the first confirmed comet to arrive from interstellar space. An amateur astronomer named Gennady Borisov first spots the object in August, and experts quickly confirm its interstellar origin based on its extreme speed of 110,000 miles per hour and its hyperbolic trajectory.
Unlike the previous interstellar visitor 'Oumuamua, which resembles an inert oblong rock, 2I/Borisov displays a classic comet structure with a core surrounded by a dynamic cloud of dust and ice. Scientists note that the comet's makeup closely resembles that of local comets within our own solar system, which suggests that comet formation in other star systems occurs in a very similar way.
The fast-moving comet makes its closest approach to the Sun in early December at a safe distance of 200 million miles before it leaves our solar system forever. Hubble continues to observe this unique interstellar visitor through January to gather as much data as possible before it disappears completely into deep space.