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Understanding

Knowing more about comets

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Discoveries > Comets XIII

A particular comet: the comet Borisov

Credit : telescope Gemini

The comet Borisov visiting the Solar system.

The image above shows comet Borisov at the Gemini telescope. This comet, first designated C/2019 Q4 has proved to be an interstellar object, the second ever observed and now called 2I/Borisov.

An interstellar object always unexpectedly arrives in a hyperbolic orbit from any direction. He has little chance being captured remaining in the solar system: its orbit can only be slightly deflected but it will go back to interstellar space.