Large Oort Cloud Comet Will Reach Near the Orbit of Saturn in 2031
takyon writes:
A Newly-Discovered (Almost) Dwarf Planet Will Come Surprisingly Close in 2031
The object, known as 2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein), was originally observed in 2014 but first noted on June 19th, 2021 by Pedro Bernardelli and Gary Bernstein, and now has its own Wikipedia page. The data on the object was collected by the Dark Energy Survey over the course of 4 years, but now new observing platforms are being brought to bear on this novel object.
With those additional observational platforms come additional insights. Right now, 2014 UN271 is expected to reach its perihelion just outside the orbit of Saturn [on January 23, 2031] before returning to the depths of the Oort cloud[*] for another spin around the sun. Its size is estimated to be between 100 and 370 km wide, making it possibly the biggest Oort cloud object ever observed.
Having already passed Neptune's orbit, 2014 UN271 is well on its journey into the inner solar system.
It has an orbital eccentricity of over 0.999, and an aphelion that could take it as far as 55,000 AU (0.9 light years) away from the Sun after 4.5 million years, although it could be disturbed by other objects and passing stars.
[*] Oort Cloud.
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