A squad of stargazer has attempted to explain an unco high - speed comet , finding that it was in all probability sent on its inflated trajectory observe a tight coming upon with Saturn in 2022 .
On June 14 , 2024 , Comet A117uUD was first spot by the Asteroid Terrestrial - shock Last Alert System ( ATLAS ) . Over the next month , astronomers made 145 observations of the object , giving them a pretty good initial picture of its way of life . Analyzing the datum , it appear the comet is on a " inflated trajectory " , meaning that it is prompt at speeds that will give up it to expire the Solar System and infix interstellar space .
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In a newfangled theme , astronomers endeavor to figure out what induce its unusually mellow swiftness . Astronomers have so far seen twointerstellar objectspassing through our Solar System , so it was potential that Comet A117uUD could be another .
" In addition , passing stars or the Galactic lunar time period may ship Oort cloud comet toward the inside solar scheme along inflated flight , " the squad explicate in their newspaper .
Another possibility is that it was mail on its hyperbolic trajectory following an meeting with one of our gas giants . As little object draw close a planet , momentum is transferredfrom the planet to the physical object , slow up the orbit of the planet a tiny amount in central for a boost in velocity to the object .
So far , we have only seen one comet – Comet C/1980 E1 – which has been coif on an interstellar course by such an encounter , after it passed by Jupiter in 1980 . Attempting to derive Comet A117uUD ’s previous position , the new squad believes Saturn is responsible for for yeeting it on a course of study out of the Solar System .
" The comet experienced a very close encounter with Saturn in 2022 that score it difficult to reconstruct the pre - encounter orbit , " the team explained in their paper , though they believe its old orbit resemble those of retrograde Centaur – modest bodies that orb between Jupiter and Neptune – or comets .
" Our issue show that the vitrine of comet A117uUD is similar to that of C/1980 E1 ( Bowell ) , disfavoring an extrasolar stemma for A117uUD , " the squad reason out . " The fact that two ejection after planetary encounter were follow in less than 45 yr suggests that such events are comparatively frequent . "
The written report is published inResearch Notes of the AAS
