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With the help of several ground-based telescopes in La Palma and Hawaii, astronomers have observed C / 2019 Q4, the first known interstellar comet and the second interstellar object identified in the solar system.
This composite image, obtained by the Gemini North multi-object spectrometer on the 8.2 m Gemini North telescope, shows the interstellar comet C / 2019 Q4. Image credit: Gemini Observatory / NSF / AURA / Rector Travis.
C / 2019 The fourth quarter was detected for the first time on August 30, 2019 by Gennady Borisov, astronomer at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnij, Ukraine.
On September 10th, Dr. Piotr Guzik of the Jagiellonian University Astronomical Observatory and his Polish and Dutch colleagues observed the comet using the 4.2m William Herschel telescope at La Palma and the Gemini Nord telescope 8.2 m located in Maunakea, Hawaii.
At the time of the observations, the object was about 413 million kilometers from the Sun and 512 million kilometers from the Earth.
The images reveal an active comet whose width is between 1.2 and 10 miles (2-16 km).
They also show an extended coma and a broad, short tail emanating from a more or less antisolar direction – the canonical signatures of cometary activity.
"The extended coma and large tail displayed by the object contrast sharply with the purely asteroid aspect of Oumuamua," said Dr. Guzik and his co-authors in their article on arXiv.org.
"Both the orbital and morphological properties of this body show that it is the first known case of an interstellar comet and the second known interstellar minor body identified in the solar system."
This image of the Gran Telescopio Canarias of 10.4 m shows C / 2019 Q4. Image credit: de Leon et al.
Another team of astronomers, led by Dr. Julia de Leon of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, observed the fourth quarter of 2019 on the night of September 12, 2019 with the help of Gran Telescopio Canarias, 10.4 m long.
"The spectrum of this object is similar to that of comets in the solar system and this indicates that their composition must be similar," said Dr. de Leon.
C / 2019 The T4 entered the solar system from interstellar space at 33,000 km / s (33,000 km / s) in the constellation Cassiopeia, near the open star Stock 2 group.
The comet is moving towards the inner solar system and is currently 420 million km from the Sun.
On October 26, 2019, he will pass into the ecliptic plane from above at an angle of about 40 degrees.
On December 9th, he is expected to be closest to the Sun, less than 293 million kilometers from our star, and will reach its closest point to the Earth on December 28th at a distance of 30 meters. approximately 176 million miles (283 million km).
"The fourth quarter of C / 2019 is destined for an unprecedented observation campaign that will last several months and will allow us to obtain sensational information on the physical properties of interstellar comets and extrasolar planetary systems in general. Said Dr. Guzik and his colleagues.
"The discovery of this object indicates that interstellar comets could be common and creates a tremendous opportunity to study in detail the first object of this type."
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Piotr Guzik et al. 2019. Interstellar Comet 2I / Borisov. arXiv: 1909.05851
Julia de Leon et al. 2019. Interstellar Visitors: Physical Characterization of Comet C / 2019 Q4 (Borisov) with OSIRIS at 10.4 m GTC. AAS20106
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