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Last week, the Minor Planet Center announced that astronomers had discovered the second interstellar object recorded – we now have a photo.
Amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov discovered the object, tentatively named Comet C / 2019 Q4 (Borisov), on August 30th. Follow-up observations revealed that the object had a hyperbolic orbit, meaning that it was traveling with sufficient speed to escape the solar system. gravity – and implying that it does not belong to this solar system. It's an exciting discovery.
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"What's exciting about science is that we can make a comparison, how this is different from Oumuamua," said the first interstellar object, said MPC Director Matthew Holman Gizmodo last week.
Astronomers operating the Gemini multi-object spectrograph instrument at the Gemini North Telescope in Hawaii captured the image in the night of 10 to 10 September. Astronomers rushed to take the picture and, after hearing the last details at 3 pm local time, observed the object. less than two hours later, according to a press release.
If the follow-up observations confirm the interstellar status of C / 2019 Q4 (Borisov), it would be the second interstellar object recorded after "Oumuamua, which was spotted in 2017. Researchers have already begun to think about the difference between two objects. The image of Gemini North shows the details of a fuzzy coma and a tail, two invisible features of comets on 'Oumuamua.
The new object is currently quite close to the sun – it appears low in the sky before sunrise and dusk makes observing conditions difficult. Borisov happily understood it in his approach and scientists will be able to better represent the object on his trip to go, according to Holman. A larger number of telescopes pointing to the object will confirm whether or not this solar system is revealing more about its origin.
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