NASA tracked space rock 1998 SH2 found to be comet
Technology
Turns out that space rock NASA's been tracking since 1998, called 1998 SH2, wasn't just an ordinary asteroid after all.
After it zipped past Earth last August (about two million miles away), scientists noticed its orbit was acting weird.
New radar data and a closer look showed something was up.
Gas jets confirm comet P/1998 SH2
Digging deeper, researchers found the object was actually releasing gas jets from hidden ice when sunlight hit it, a classic comet move.
The Very Large Telescope in Chile even spotted a faint tail trailing behind. So now 1998 SH2 is officially comet P/1998 SH2.
This matters because even small changes in these orbits can impact how we track and protect Earth from near-Earth objects in the future.