Astronomers uncover gas-jetting activity in largest Oort Cloud comet
Astronomers using Chile's ALMA telescope just spotted chemical activity on C/2014 UN271—aka Bernardinelli-Bernstein—the biggest comet ever found coming from the distant Oort Cloud.
This icy giant, about 137km wide and hanging out halfway between the sun and Neptune, is shooting out carbon monoxide gas as it gets closer to the sun.
It's only the second active Oort Cloud comet scientists have ever seen.
Comet could help us understand what things were like...
By tracking these gas jets and measuring its dusty core, researchers are getting a unique chance to study ancient materials left over from when our solar system formed.
As one scientist put it, seeing molecular outgassing from such a faraway icy body is unprecedented.
With more frozen material likely to erupt as it warms up, this comet could help us understand what things were like billions of years ago.