NASA Tracked This ‘Asteroid’ for Nearly 30 Years — Then Came the Shock

  • تاريخ النشر: منذ يومين زمن القراءة: دقيقة قراءة

A former asteroid turned out to be a weak active comet with hidden outgassing.

The “Asteroid” Was Actually an Active Comet

A Radar Telescope Looked in the Wrong Place

It Was Farther Off Course Than Expected

Gravity Alone Could Not Explain Its Motion

Hidden Ice Was Acting Like a Tiny Rocket

Ordinary Images Still Made It Look Like an Asteroid

Powerful Telescopes Finally Revealed the Tail

It Now Carries Both Identities

It Is Not Expected to Hit Earth

More “Asteroids” May Be Hidden Comets

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For decades, one object appeared to fit comfortably inside a familiar category. Nothing visible suggested that astronomers had misunderstood what was travelling through the inner solar system.

The first warning came when careful predictions suddenly failed. Solving that discrepancy revealed a hidden identity with consequences extending far beyond a single object.

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