Scientists discover enormous comet with interior jets
Astronomers have confirmed that C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is the largest known comet, with a nucleus stretching 80 to 137km wide—yep, that's bigger than Rhode Island.
Using Hubble and ALMA, scientists saw jets of carbon monoxide gas blasting out from its core at a significant distance from the Sun.
It's the first time anyone's caught a comet being this active so far from the Sun.
Most distant active comet ever observed
This giant hails from the Oort Cloud—a huge icy shell way beyond Pluto that surrounds our solar system.
Right now, it sits about 29 times farther from the Sun than Earth does, making it the most distant active comet ever observed.
Its orbit takes millions of years to complete and will bring it closest to the Sun in January 2031, just outside Saturn's path.
More outgassing expected as it moves closer to Sun
Even though you can't see Bernardinelli-Bernstein without a powerful telescope yet, astronomers are excited.
As it moves closer to the Sun and heats up, they expect more dramatic outgassing—which could reveal secrets about what comets are made of and how our solar system formed billions of years ago.