Interstellar object near our solar system

Brief introduction related to the topic

A new object is detected in the interstellar space near our solar system. The scientists detected a second object that visits our solar system from another star system. It is believed that it could pass near Mars at the end of this year. It is known as comet “C / 2019 Q4 (Borisov)”. Scientists believe that the chances of it being interstellar are greater than that it is a rock within the Solar System.

The first interstellar object passed through our Solar System in 2017. This mysterious and controversial rock, which was shaped like a cigar, was known as “Oumuamua.”

Scientific history related to the interstellar object

It is believed that it was Gennady Borisov, a Ukrainian amateur astronomer, who first managed to discover C / 2019 Q4 on August 30, 2019. He used a 650 mm f / 1.5 telescope, which was manufactured and improved by himself to detect comets. He literally defines it: “with a comma of 7 seconds of angular size in the form of tear and tail of 15 seconds in AP 310.

He sent the data to the Minor Planet Center (MPC) as a protocol for confirmation of a new comet. MPC published the object data within its website. It was assigned a provisional code in what is confirmed or discarded by what was classified as gb00234.

The data is available for any professional or amateur observatory or astronomer. Astronomers collected the data and are working on plotting the object’s path and finding out where it comes from.

According to the European astronomer, Olivier Hainaut, they are very excited and have put aside other projects to devote to it. Hainaut added that the difference between Oumuamua and this one is that they were able to receive the information well in advance, which will allow them to be much more prepared.

According to the first images, the C / 2019 can be better detected than the Oumuamua since it has a small tail or halo of dust and the dust reflects sunlight. Hainaut thinks he was born around a star and then traveled to us. It is for this reason that he considers it as the best option to send a probe to a different solar system.

The objective of the astronomers is to see if the object has an orbit that is elliptical (in the form of an oval and around the sun) or is hyperbolic (in the form of a check mark and in an open path). Actually the most likely route is hyperbolic. Astronomers still need to make more observations to reach more accurate conclusions.

If C / 2019 Q4 turns out to be a second interstellar object, then Hainaut’s proposal to send robotic probes to space to intercept other objects in the future, could come true.

Conclusion

At the end of December it is when it is thought that this object will be at its closest point to the Sun, if this is an interstellar object. Although it is said that it could continue to be observed until January 2021.

We still don’t know what surprise we will find regarding this object.

References

• Un misterioso objeto del espacio interestelar ha entrado en nuestro sistema solar| Código Cósmico
• UN ASTRÓNOMO AFICIONADO DESCUBRE EL PRIMER COMETA INTERESTELAR (C/2019 Q4 Borisov)| Cometaria