Researchers discover a gargantuan comet 1,000 times bigger than usual heading towards Earth

A gigantic comet, estimated to be about 1,000 times more massive than a typical comet, is heading towards the inner solar system. The comet, known as Bernardinelli-Bernstein (BB), is said to be at least 100 kilometers (62 miles) across and may arrival 10 years from now.

Apparently, the comet has the largest and brightest nucleus of any well-measured comet till now and is coming through the Oort cloud – a vast area that lies billions of miles away from the Earth and is filled with icy rocks.

According to National Geographic , the gargantuan Bernardinelli-Bernstein was discovered in June by Pedro Bernardinelli during his PhD research at the University of Pennsylvania, with his adviser Gary Berstein and the comet was named after them. Initially, the comet was mistaken as a tiny planet by astronomers due to its enormity. Later, the object appeared to have a tail - an indicator of being a comet and was seen heading towards the solar system.

For the time being, the comet lies about 29 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun, which is 29 astronomical units (AU). Scientists predict that the comet will come closest to the Earth about a decade later, sometime in the year 2031 . According to researchers, the comet will lie just outside the orbit of Saturn and will swoop within 10.97 AU of the sun.

Researchers examined the comet’s trajectory and calculated comet BB’s last approach towards the earth, which was 3.5 million years ago, coming within 18 AU of the sun. This time, the comet’s visit to our solar system will be much closer, yet it will not be possible to view it through the naked eye. Humans will have to use a telescope to witness the coming of this humongous comet. Researchers have concluded that BB is a ‘new’ comet in the sense that previously its approach was not closer than 18 AU.